DGP, wife test +ve; 53 students among 300 infected in Kashmir, dozen schools shut

4 more Corona fatalities in J&K, toll 1994

Single day highest 112 cases in Leh

Sanjeev Pargal/
Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/SRINAGAR/ LEH, Mar 31: Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh and his doctor wife today tested positive for COVID-19 while all his contacts including senior police officers were subjected to testing and they reported negative even as the Union Territory again reported four new Corona deaths and 373 cases including 53 students and four faculty members of different schools in Kashmir division prompting authorities to shut dozen schools temporarily.

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The Union Territory of Ladakh recorded single day highest 112 COVID positive cases today, all in Leh district.
Dilbag Singh and his wife, who is a doctor in Punjab presently attached with Jammu and Kashmir Government on deputation and posted in Channi Himmat, Jammu today tested positive for COVID-19. They had mild symptoms and reported positive for the virus. Both of them were in self-isolation at home.
Soon after the DGP tested positive, all police personnel at the Police Headquarters in Jammu including senior officers who had come in contact with him, were subjected to testing. All of them tested negative for the virus.
The police chief has appealed to those who had come in contact with him recently to isolate themselves and, if necessary, undergo test.
Singh, a 1987-batch IPS officer, and his wife had taken the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and were scheduled to get second dose soon.
Doctors were monitoring the health of the police chief and his family.
Meanwhile, a 38-year-old man hailing from village Pamrote in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district died of brain tumour in Sub District Hospital (SDH) Surankote today. He had tested positive for Coronavirus during the treatment, taking COVID death toll in Jammu region to 736 and Poonch district to 26. Jammu district has highest 381 casualties in the region.
Three persons who were suffering from COVID-19 died today in Kashmir. J&K’s total casualties have gone up to 1994.
At least 53 students and four faculty members of different schools in Kashmir division tested positive for COVID-19 today that prompted the authorities to close a dozen schools across the region temporarily.
Among the 53 students who tested positive for COVID-19, 14 are from Government High School Katsoo Srigufwara in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, 37 of Noorani Public School in Khull area of Damhal Hanjipora of Kulgam district and one student and a teacher of Government Higher Secondary School Kaloosa Bandipora. The Anantnag and Kulgam schools have been closed for one week while Bandipora for three days. An official said that the students who tested positive in Kuldgam are aged between 10 years to 14 years.
Authorities in central Kashmir’s Budgam district ordered closure of three educational establishments for at least five days following the outbreak of COVID-19 among teachers and two students.
The schools that were closed today include Government High School Sogam, Government High School Badipora and Government Girls Higher Secondary School Budgam.
Two staff members of Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Kothibagh Srinagar were tested positive for Coronavirus today. The school has been closed for three days.
These schools have been closed for three days and will re-open on Monday.
And as Srinagar has been declared Orange Zone following spike in COVID-19 cases, the Presentation Convent Higher Secondary School Rajbagh has closed the offline classes and has shifted to online for next three days. However, they are conducting online unit tests which are scheduled next.
A day after it was declared Orange Zone, the district administration Srinagar today constituted a team of officials for the strict implementation of COVID-19 SOPs to contain the spread of pandemic and to deal strictly with the violators of guidelines in spirit.
Srinagar is witnessing surge in Covid-19 positive cases and has been categorized as the Orange Zone, the district administration has constituted a team of officials which will ensure the strict implementation of Covid-19 SOPs and guidelines while as the team has been authorized to impose the fine on spot if anyone is found violating the set guidelines.
Another team has been constituted and authorized to take legal action against business establishments like restaurants or food points that are found violating the COVID-19 protocols.
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Aijaz Asad conducted an inspection at different malls and restaurants to check out the adherence of COVID-19 SOPs and guidelines. Asad also inspected the COVID-19 testing facilities in Srinagar.
A 30-year-old non-local labourer today tested positive for Coronavirus in Sogam area of Kupwara, forcing the district administration to go for sampling of his primary contacts even as authorities directed concerned to prioritize sampling of all outside labourers engaged in different works in the North Kashmir district.
Those who tested positive include 159 Srinagar, 63 Baramulla, 26 Budgam, 5 Pulwama, 11 from Kupwara, 8 Anantnag, 7 Bandipora, 8 Ganderbal, 12 Kulgam and 1 from Shopian in Kashmir.
The number of positive cases in Kashmir division has reached 78,019 including 74,891 recoveries and 1,258 deaths.
The number of active cases in Jammu and Kashmir are 2,531 including 1,870 from Kashmir division.
With 131 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 126,435 which is 96.54 percent of the total cases.
Meanwhile, 73 persons today tested positive for Coronavirus in Jammu region including 45 in Jammu district, 11 Kathua, nine Udhampur, three each Samba and Poonch and two in Rajouri district. Reasi, Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda districts didn’t report any fresh cases.
Twenty six persons recovered from the virus, 20 of them in Jammu district and two each in Udhampur, Kathua and Ramban districts.
Jammu region now has 52941 Corona cases. Among them, 661 are active positives as 51544 have recovered from the virus and there have been 736 casualties.
Meanwhile, the Union Territory of Ladakh today reported single day highest 112 Corona cases, all in Leh district as Kargil didn’t report any fresh case.
Majority among them were workers coming from different States to Leh for work.
With this, Ladakh’s Corona count has gone up to 10119 including 222 active positives and 9767 recoveries.
Among active cases, Leh has 217 and Kargil five.
The UT has so far reported 130 Corona fatalities—86 in Leh and 44 in Kargil.
District Magistrate Leh Shrikant Suse has ordered five micro-containment zones in the district including one in Khaltse and four in Leh town following positive cases.