SRINAGAR : As new COVID-19 cases and death continue to rise unabated, J&K Lt Governor Girish Chandra Murmu on Sunday appealed to people to strictly following guidelines, including wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and hand hygiene, to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The Lt Governor also stressed on maintaining social distancing during upcoming festivals to curtail the spread of the infection.
There is an upward spiral in the number of deaths and positive cases in J&K, particularly in the Kashmir valley. Of the total 238 fatalities reported since March this year, 203 people have lost their lives due to infection in 45 days, and 223 people in 59 days in J&K, where 441 new positive cases were reported on Saturday, taking the total number of infected people to 13,198.
Mr Murmu said continuing economic development is important, but saving lives of people is more important and everyone’s responsibility.
“I would like to once again appeal to the people to J&K. As you are aware lockdown remained imposed for two months in the country during which COVID-19 pandemic was brought under control. But, as the restrictions were eased, during the last 15 days, the number of COVID-19 cases has increased rapidly in J&K,” the Lt Governor said in an audio message on Sunday.
“So I appeal to everyone?. besides continuing economic development, saving lives of people is everyone’s responsibility. The J&K government has been issuing guidelines from time to time in accordance with the SOPs issued by the centre,” he said.
He said people can on their own save their lives by adhering to the guidelines. “I appeal to the people to wear masks, maintain social distancing and maintain hand hygiene,” he said.
“If the guidelines were not followed by people, the COVID-19 pandemic will spread rapidly,” he warned.
“So I request people to help administration by following all the guidelines and maintain social distancing in upcoming festivals,” he added.
The Lt Governor said following guidelines will be beneficial for everyone. “Economic activities are also important so keeping that in mind we have allowed activities in some areas,” he said.
However, he said Kashmir has many hotspots. “Danger still persists in these hotspots. People in these areas are requested to follow the guidelines and help the administration to curtail the spread of this virus,” he added.
The Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK) last week said the situation is becoming horrific in hospitals in the valley. “For the last few days people in large numbers are coming to hospitals with severe bilateral pneumonia requiring oxygen and many needing intensive-care setting. Our beds are full, oxygen points are occupied and we don’t have space in ICUs,” DAK President and influenza expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan said.
He said patients are coming with bad lungs when it is difficult to salvage them. “Not only the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions, but young people are now coming with severe disease and some of them are dying. Even pregnant women are not spared,” he said.
Dr Hassan said the virus has become dangerous and is now behaving aggressively which gives us to understand whether the virus has changed (mutated) which can happen. “Earlier, most of the Covid cases in the valley were either asymptomatic or with mild disease,” he said, adding that the virus has taken an ugly turn and the situation has deteriorated. (AGENCIES)
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