Surge in Ladakh too: 105 new COVID cases
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 12: In a massive surge in Coronavirus positive cases in the Union Territory of Ladakh, 105 persons today tested positive for the virus including 36 in Leh and 69 in Kargil district while fresh spike was also reported from Jammu region where 93 persons including eight police, BSF and CRPF personnel, one of them an Inspector and another Sub Inspector, who was posted as Incharge GMC Jammu Police Post and an Ambulance driver instrumental in transporting Corona patients to hospitals, another Jammu and Kashmir Bank staffer (second in last two days) and a Railways employee posted at Katra, tested positive while an elderly man from village Sial Sui in Kalakote tehsil of Rajouri district died here becoming sixth COVID casualty in the region and first in Rajouri.
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This is for the first time that the Union Territory of Ladakh has reported fresh Corona cases in three digits since the pandemic broke out while 93 positive cases were highest in a day in Jammu region, the previous being 85 so far.
A 65-year-old man from village Sial Sui in Kalakote tehsil of Rajouri district, today became sixth Corona casualty in the Jammu region.
GMC Jammu Medical Superintendent Dr Dara Singh told the Excelsior that the Kalakote man was admitted in the hospital as head injury case after fall at his residence on June 1. Subsequently, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was shifted to Isolation Ward for the treatment. He passed away at 9.30 am today.
Dr Singh said body of the COVID victim was packed as per the protocol.
Later, the body was taken to native village of the victim at Sial Sui where it was buried as per the SOP of Coronavirus patients with only limited family members allowed to attend the burial.
Of six Corona casualties in Jammu region, three have been reported in Jammu district and one each in Udhampur, Doda and Rajouri districts.
Meanwhile 14 persons today tested positive for Coronavirus in Jammu district.
They included Incharge GMC Jammu Police Post, a Sub Inspector. He has been isolated and hospitalized. Entire staff of the Police Post, the SHO Bakshi Nagar, his personal staff and family members of the Sub Inspector have been quarantined for sampling, sources said, adding source of infection to the SI is being ascertained.
The police Corona warriors from GMC Police Post and the SHO Bakshi Nagar police station had to frequently visit the GMC Jammu which falls under their area of jurisdiction. The SHO Bakshi Nagar has been home quarantined as per protocol and directions of the UT Government.
A 52-year-old Police Inspector from South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, who had returned from leave, has also tested positive for the virus. He was putting up at Gulshan Ground police quarters here but was under quarantine after his return from the Valley.
Other positives of Jammu district included an 11-year-old girl from Adarsh Enclave Extension 4 Trikuta Nagar with travel history of Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, a 53-year-old man from Talab Tillo, 27-year-old girl from Talab Tillo, 62-year-old woman from Paloura, 22-year-old youth from Ashok Nagar, 27-year-old youth from Bihar, who was working here for a local news channel, 24-year-old from Pathankot, presently working in Jammu, 33-year old driver of Chowki Chowra, Akhnoor who had returned from Ajmer, Rajasthan, , a 52-year old man and his 18-year-old son from Talab Tillo, 23-year-old girl and 28-year old youth from Jammu, whose exact addresses haven’t been mentioned. However, all of them were under administrative quarantine and have been shifted to different COVID hospitals.
Commissioner/Secretary Health, UT Ladakh, Rigzin Sampheal told media persons that the administration was expecting new cases of Coronavirus as 21,000 stranded persons of the Union Territory had returned from different parts of the country as part of drive to bring people back home.
“There is nothing to worry. Situation is well under control. The results are on expected lines. About 1500 more results are awaited and there could be some more positive cases,” Sampheal said.
He added that the District Magistrates of Leh and Kargil have added 100-bed each capacity in the two districts which would be ready by tonight.
“We have also allowed the COVID positive patients who have isolation facilities in their houses to stay at home. However, those who don’t have facilities at houses, will be admitted in COVID Care Homes,” Sampheal said.
An official handout released by the Union Territory administration of Ladakh said 105 more persons today tested positive for COVID-19 including 36 in Leh district and 69 in Kargil, taking total number of cases to 240. Active cases in Ladakh stood at 176, 74 in Leh and 102 in Kargil. Eight COVID patients were treated and discharged in Kargil district today, There has been just one Corona casualty in the UT of Ladakh-the former Union Minister and Congress leader P Namgayal.
Highest number of 26 persons in Jammu region today tested positive in Kathua district.
Of them, 15 belonged to different districts of Kashmir valley who were kept under administrative quarantine in Kathua after crossing Lakhanpur from various States of the country for reaching home, District Magistrate OP Bhagat said.
Rest of the persons hailed from Kathua, Hiranagar and Bani tehsils of the district and were under quarantine excepting one, who is untraced.
The positive cases are being shifted from quarantine centres to COVID Hospitals.
Second highest number of 21 persons reported positive for COVID-19 in Ramban district.
They included one pregnant woman and a Jammu and Kashmir Bank employee posted at Banihal while rest were returnees from several States, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Ramban Dr Fareed Bhat said.
He added that contacts of the pregnant woman have been traced for isolation and sampling.
Only yesterday, a Jammu and Kashmir Bank employee posted at Chambitrar Peeri in Rajouri district had tested positive. The district Rajouri administration today closed Chambitrar Peeri and Main Branch Rajouri of J&K Bank as some of the employees from Peeri had also visited Main Branch. Contacts of the positive employee have been traced for isolation and sampling. Niabat Peeri has been declared as Containment Zone by District Magistrate Rajouri Mohammad Nazir Sheikh.
In Poonch district, 15 persons were tested positive for the virus including two police personnel and an Ambulance driver of District Hospital Poonch who was instrumental in shifting COVID positive patients to hospitals.
A 50-year old Head Constable hailing from Fazalabad Surankote who was deployed at Batalkoot Ziyarat quarantine centre and a 35-year-old constable who belonged to Kathua and was posted at the District Police Lines (DPL) Poonch have tested positive for Corona. A 48-year-old ambulance driver of District Hospital Poonch, who is a resident of Wazi Mohra Ward No. 1, has also tested positive.
Other positives from Poonch district hailed from Mahra Surankote, Chikriban, Fazalabad Surankote, Sabjian Mandi, Hari Surankote, Khanetar, Islmabad Shahpur, Mendhar, Jhulass and Badhar Mandi. All of them are males and under administrative quarantine with travel history of Mumbai, Kupwara, Uttar Pradesh, Srinagar and Maharashtra.
SSP Poonch Ramesh Angral said all positive persons have been shifted from the quarantine centres to different hospitals.
District Magistrate Poonch Rahul Yadav has declared Ward Nos. 9 and 10 of Surankote town and Panchayats Battalkote, Loran (from Kharappa bridge up to Bella Balla including Ziarat Battalkote) as Red Zones after positive cases were detected there.
Fifteen persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Samba district.
They included a BSF constable of 19 battalion, who had travel history of Kolkata, two CRPF personnel of 38 battalion, who had returned from Mau Agra in Uttar Pradesh and a Head Constable of 17th IRP battalion, who hailed from village Jerdha in Ramgarh sector of Samba with travel history of Srinagar.
Other positives at Samba were also under administrative quarantine, SSP Samba Shakti Pathak said, adding that all of them have been shifted from the quarantine centres and admitted in COVID hospitals.
An Indian Railways official posted at Katra, who had returned from Haryana, tested positive in Reasi district while a suspended police constable of Marwah reported positive in Kishtwar district. He had travel history of Anantnag and is untraced.
Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Rajinder Singh Tara said the suspended constable is being traced for hospitalization.
Three persons tested positive in Doda and two in Rajouri districts today.
Meanwhile, 55 Corona patients were today treated and discharged from various COVID Hospitals.
They include 18 from Doda, 14 Ramban, 10 each Jammu and Kathua, two Udhampur and one Reasi districts.
With today’s 93 positive cases, Jammu’s Corona tally has crossed 1100.
There were around 740 active cases, 353 recoveries and six deaths.
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