9 die of COVID in J&K, 656 test +ve

112 cases in Srinagar, lowest since 2nd wave

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU/SRINAGAR, June 17: Nine persons died of COVID-19 including five in Jammu region and four in Kashmir while 656 others tested positive for the virus. One more confirmed case of Mucormycosis was reported in the UT today taking total number of cases to 22.
Kashmir reported 466 new cases and Jammu 190.
Of five deaths in Jammu, four were reported in Rajouri district and one in Doda.
Significantly, all five persons who died of COVID-19 in the Jammu region today had no co-morbidities.
A 65-year-old man from Kandi, 85-year-old from Khour Bani and 67-year-old from Bathera, all in Rajouri district succumbed to the virus in the Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri while a 65-year-old woman hailing from Rajdhani breathed her last at home.
A 72-year-old man from Puneja Bhaderwah in Doda district died 22 days after his admission in the GMC Doda. He was positive for the virus. In GMC Rajouri also, the Kandi man died 25 days after hospitalization.
Among 190 persons, who tested positive for Coronavirus in Jammu region, 41 belonged to Doda district, 33 Jammu, 26 each in Rajouri and Ramban districts, 20 Kathua, 16 Reasi, nine each in Samba and Kishtwar, six Udhampur and four in Poonch district.
However, recoveries were significantly higher than today’s positive cases.
As against 190 new cases, 506 persons recovered from COVID-19 in Jammu region, the maximum being 167 in Poonch district, 146 Jammu, 49 Rajouri, 46 Doda, 26 Samba, 17 each in Kathua and Kishtwar, 16 Ramban, 13 Reasi and nine in Udhampur district.
Fresh cases have taken Jammu region’s Corona count to 1,17,754. Of them, 3869 are active positive cases as 1,11,827 have recovered from the virus and there have been 2058 casualties.
Highest 1118 casualties have been reported in Jammu district followed by 212 Rajouri, 149 Kathua, 131 Udhampur, 118 Samba, 102 Doda, 86 Poonch, 60 Ramban, 42 Reasi and 40 in Kishtwar district.
Meanwhile, the Union Territory of Ladakh today registered 33 COVID positive cases including 25 in Leh and eight in Kargil. No Corona death was recorded in Ladakh today.
With 33 new cases, Corona count in Ladakh has reached 19682 including 538 active positives, 18945 recoveries and 199 deaths—143 in Leh and 56 in Kargil.
Meanwhile, Kashmir today reported 466 fresh cases of COVID-19 while four people succumbed to the virus.
Srinagar reported 112 cases, Baramulla 42, Budgam 94, Pulwama 54, Kupwara 45, Anantnag 53, Bandipora 17, Ganderbal 25, Kulgam 18 and Shopian 6.
Srinagar recorded 112 positive cases, lowest ever since the second wave. Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Aijaz Asad tweeted: “112 Cases in Srinagar today. Lowest since outbreak of second wave. Let’s not forget Virus surges from the lower numbers only. Vaccination holds key. Adherence to SOPs is non-negotiable”
As per officials figures, 68,762 positive cases including 815 deaths and 66,306 recoveries are from Srinagar, 22,887 including 276 deaths and 21,793 recoveries are from Baramulla, 22,122 including 21,079 recoveries and 200 deaths are from Budgam, 14,590 including 13,408 recoveries and 185 deaths are from Pulwama, 13,460 including 157 deaths and 12,635 recoveries are from Kupwara, 15,693 including 14,872 recoveries and 195 deaths are from Anantnag, 9,075 cases including 8,640 and 98 deaths are from Bandipora, 9,361 including 9,011 recoveries and 75 deaths are from Ganderbal, 10,791 including 10,262 recoveries and 109 deaths are from Kulgam and 5,522 including 5,356 recoveries and 58 deaths are from Shopian.
The number of cases in Kashmir division has reached 192,263 including 183,362 recoveries and 2,168 deaths.
The number of active cases in Jammu and Kashmir are 10,602 including 6,733 from Kashmir division.
With 1,426 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 295,189, which is 95.21 percent of the total cases.
And as the Coronavirus cases go down, Government is mulling to resume OPD services in all hospitals in Kashmir.
An official said that the OPD services will resume at their full strength in non-COVID hospitals across Kashmir shortly.
He said that tertiary care hospitals having separate COVID care facilities will also make their OPDs functional in a phased manner.
He said that the Government is monitoring the situation keenly and the dip in Covid-19 cases has given a sigh of relief and very soon a decision will be taken in this regard.
“We don’t want to risk the lives of people by intermixing Covid patients with non- Covid patients and the hospitals having separate Covid centre will be allowed to resume full OPD services very soon,” he said.

Vaccination team attacked with stones

With the Healthcare workers trying to reach the people at their doorsteps in the far-flung areas of Kashmir to get them vaccinated against COVID-19, a team of such workers was today attacked by a family in Chuntimulla village of North Kashmir’s Bandipora.
As a routine, as per the officials, the team was carrying out the vaccination of the people living in the village. However, upon reaching a house in the area, when the team asked them to get vaccinated, they got agitated and manhandled them resulting in a disruption in the vaccination drive.
The officials said that the family got agitated upon hearing that the team had reached to vaccinate them. “They were earlier manhandled and later they were attacked with stones, forcing the healthcare workers to flee from the spot,” the officials said.
The members of the family told the team that they were doing perfectly fine and were not in a need to be vaccinated, in reply to which the healthcare workers tried to persuade them and make them understand the need for vaccination amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“But they did not budge and, in turn, turned violent and the entire process of vaccinated came to a halt as the workers fled from the spot for their safety,” they said, adding that one of the female workers has been injured as well during the incident.
Later, a video that was shot by a member of the vaccination team also went viral on social media platforms. In the video, the members of the family were seen hurling stones at the team members and asking them to leave.
The healthcare worker was also heard requesting the family members not to hurl stones at them and that it was fine if they don’t want to get vaccinated. However, the family continued with the violent behaviour till the team fled from the spot.
Meanwhile, one of the family members has been arrested by the police, while the district administration has also ordered an inquiry into the matter.