175 SMVDU students, Asstt Prof among 3 in CU test COVID +ve

12 tourists among 65 new cases in Ladakh

MS CD, CMO Rajouri too found infected

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU/SRINAGAR/ LEH, Jan 4: As many as 175 students of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) have tested positive for COVID-19 so far including 145 today alone even as testing of the faculty will start tomorrow. An Assistant Professor and two students tested positive in the Central University at Raya in Samba district.
Medical Superintendent Psychiatric and Chest Diseases Hospital Dr Kirti Bhushan Sharma and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Rajouri Dr Shamim Bhatti also tested positive for COVID-19 today while being engaged in COVID containment measures.
Jammu district showed major surge in the cases with 58 testing positive for the virus.
A total of 199 COVID positive cases were reported in Jammu and Kashmir while Ladakh also showed spike in fresh cases with 65 positives, 12 of them tourists.
District Magistrate Reasi Charandeep Singh told the Excelsior that so far a total of 175 students have tested positive for COVID-19 at SMVDU.
“Today 145 students were found infected while number of positives during last four days of testing was 30,” Singh said.
The students hailing from the Union Territory have been sent for home isolation, the outsiders were kept in Isolation Ward within the Campus, he added.
Timely closure of the University by the DM Reasi on January 1 has averted further spread of the virus.
A total of 1550 students have been tested in the University so far, Singh said, adding that testing of the faculty will start tomorrow.
An Assistant Professor in the Central University and two students have also tested positive for pathogen, the officials said.
Among 90 cases in Jammu division, as per the official bulletin, 58 cases alone have been recorded in Jammu district followed by nine in Poonch, seven Kathua, four Ramban, three each in Udhampur, Rajouri and Doda districts, two Samba and one in Kishtwar district.
As against 90 cases, 38 recovered from the virus leaving number of active positive cases in Jammu region to 611.
The district administration Ramban today ordered mandatory testing for visitors/travellers at Patnitop till further orders.
The Chief Medical Officer Ramban has been asked to set up testing facility at Patnitop with immediate effect.
Among 65 fresh COVID positive cases in the Union Territory of Ladakh today, 58 were reported from Leh district and seven in Kargil.
Positives in Leh include 12 tourists.
Ladakh now has 249 active positive cases—198 in Leh and 51 in Kargil district.
Meanwhile, Kashmir today reported 109 fresh cases of COVID-19.
Those who tested positive include 62 from Srinagar, 3 from Baramulla, 14 from Budgam, 4 from Pulwama, 8 from Kupwara, 5 from Anantnag, 5 from Bandipora, 5 from Ganderbal and 3 from Kulgam.
The number of cases in Kashmir division has reached 215,467 including 212,206 recoveries and 2,331 deaths.
The number of active cases in Jammu and Kashmir are 1,541 including 930 from Kashmir division.
With 156 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 335,930 which is 98.23 percent of the total cases.