J&K breaches 3000-mark of positive cases for first time
Educational institutions’ staff allowed to work from home
Many micro-Containment Zones in Jammu, Ramban, Kishtwar
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 27: The Union Territory breached 3000 mark of COVID cases in a single day for the first time today recording 3164 positives and 25 deaths with Jammu region accounting for 15 casualties and 1030 cases even as the Government permitted work from home to the staff of all schools, colleges, Technical Education and Skill Development Institutes.
A decision on permitting the staff of educational and other Institutes to work from home was announced tonight by the State Executive Committee (SEC).
“In view of prevailing COVID situation in J&K, all schools, colleges, Technical Education and Skill Development Institutes will not require in person attendance of any member of the staff. The teaching staff shall conduct online classes only from their homes,” an order issued tonight by SEC Member-Secretary Simrandeep Singh said.
The Government has, however, permitted the Universities to seek in person attendance of minimal staff only for research/lab work.
However, the staff of educational institutions required by the concerned District Disaster Management Authorities for official duties will be exempted from duties on account of today’s order.
Among 15 COVID fatalities reported in Jammu region today, five were women and a 26-year-old youth. Thirteen casualties were reported from Jammu district and one each from Poonch and Rajouri.
Seven of the dead were co-morbid while eight others mainly died of COVID Pneumonia, the doctors said.
A 26-year-old youth from Sanjay Nagar on the outskirts of Jammu died in the GMC Jammu of COVID Pneumonia. He had no other ailment, GMC Medical Superintendent Dr Dara Singh said.
A 56-year-old woman from near Shiv Mandir RS Pura succumbed to multiple ailments and virus at Kidney Hospital and Lifeline Medical Institutes while 70-year-old man from Harni in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district breathed his last due to pathogen at SJAS Nursing Home Surankot. A 90-year-old man from Bhroon in Thannamandi area of Rajouri district died of COVID-19 in the GMC Rajouri.
A 54-year-old woman from Peer Mitha and 83-year-old man from Gurha Bakshi Nagar died of co-morbidities and Coronavirus at Narayana Hospital Katra.
Other COVID deaths were reported from Jourian Akhnoor (a 60-year-old man), Shakti Nagar (a 70-year-old man), Badani Akhnoor (a 46-year-old man), Muthi (a 74-year-old woman), Talab Tillo (a 73-year-old man), Channi Himmat and Rehari (both elderly citizens).
Fifteen fresh Corona casualties have taken the Jammu region’s death toll to 843, the highest being 454 in Jammu district followed by 65 Doda, 63 Udhampur, 61 Rajouri, 59 Kathua, 46 Samba, 32 Poonch, 23 Ramban, 22 Kishtwar and 18 in Reasi district.
Ten workers of a Railway Construction Company in Ramban today tested positive for the virus.
As many as 118 tourist/cum-travelers tested positive for the virus at Lakhanpur in Kathua and Katra in Reasi district today.
Seventy six persons were found infected during testing at Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir, in Kathua district including 29 from Punjab, six Bihar, five Uttar Pradesh, three each Haryana and Rajasthan, two Himachal Pradesh and one Maharashtra. Twenty seven positives belonged to J&K.
In Reasi, 42 tourist-cum-travelers were found positive for the virus, majority of them at Katra Railway Station.
Meanwhile, District Magistrate Jammu Anshul Garg today declared more localities as micro-Containment Zones due to Coronavirus cases.
The localities include Sectors 1, 2, 3, 4 Trikuta Nagar Extension, Basant Vihar, Bhawani Vihar, adjoining Easy Day, Khoo Wali Gali, Tirath Nagar, Durga Nagar, Bharat Nagar, Colonel Colony, Kabir Nagar and Hazuri Bagh.
Deputy Commissioner Ramban Mussarat Islam has declared Tabeela (Chamalwas) in Banihal tehsil and Salballah in Gool tehsil in Ramban district as micro-Containment Zones in view of positive cases.
District Magistrate Kishtwar Ashok Kumar Sharma today declared Masjid Mohalla Ward-E and Akhyar Abad in Kishtwar as micro-Containment Zones after positive cases were reported from the localities.
Jammu region recorded 1030 cases and Jammu district remained the hotspot with 489 cases alone while Kathua and Samba districts also showed surge with 100 and 98 cases respectively. Cases in other districts include 68 Rajouri, 65 Udhampur, 60 Reasi, 41 Doda, 40 Ramban, 39 Poonch and 30 in Kishtwar district.
As many as 656 persons recovered from the virus today including 304 in Reasi district, 186 Jammu, 53 Ramban, 42 Rajouri, 36 Kathua, 12 each Kishtwar and Poonch, seven Rajouri and four in Doda district.
Jammu region now has 66339 Corona cases. Number of active positive cases has risen to 8847 while 56649 persons have recovered from the virus.
The Union Territory of Ladakh today reported 145 fresh Coronavirus positive cases including 138 in Leh district and seven in Kargil.
With new cases, Corona count in Ladakh has reached 13502. Among them, 1857 are active positives while 11507 have recovered from the virus and there have been 138 casualties—94 in Leh and 44 in Kargil.
Bed occupancy surges in hospitals
Bed occupancy by sick COVID positive patients in three major hospitals in and around Jammu City has risen sharply following surge in the cases across the region.
“Out of 390 dedicated COVID beds in the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu, 281 were occupied by this evening and number of admissions was increasing,” GMC Principal Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma told the Excelsior.
She said the GMC Jammu, Chest Diseases Hospital Bakshi Nagar and Maternity & Child Care Hospital Gandhi Nagar where COVID patients are being admitted have combined 590 dedicated beds for positive patients and out of them 384 have been allotted to the patients leaving them with 196 spare beds.
Dr Sharma said the GMC Jammu has 390 COVID beds and out of them 281 were occupied while the Chest Diseases Hospital has 110 beds where 45 patients have been admitted. The MCH Gandhi Nagar has 100 beds and there were 58 patients.
“We are trying to increase number of the beds as many as possible as remaining 196 beds might not be enough going by increase in number of Coronavirus cases,” Dr Sharma said.
However, she added, there has been no shortage of medical oxygen in the GMC Jammu and its Associated Hospitals.
Last year when the COVID wave was at its peak in the middle of 2020, the bed occupancy was maximum at 196 in the Jammu. This year, 281 beds were already occupied in the GMC Jammu.
“The problem is that majority of those admitted in hospitals this time are sick patients and their recovery is taking time leading to occupation of beds for longer time,” a doctor said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
