35 students, 9 teachers infected; NIT Srinagar closed
*Surge continues in Ladakh too: 38 new cases reported
Sanjeev Pargal/Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/SRINAGAR/ LEH, Apr 1: Jammu and Kashmir today reported single-day highest 461 COVID-19 cases this year and four fatalities for second consecutive day as a Government school was shut in Satwari for three days after two teachers tested positive for the virus while 35 students and seven teachers were found infected in Kashmir and National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar decided to stop offline classes from tomorrow till further orders.
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Ladakh too continued surge in Coronavirus cases with 38 more persons testing positive including 37 in Leh and one in Kargil district taking UT’s Corona count to 10157 including 256 active and 9771 recoveries. There were 130 Corona fatalities in Ladakh.
The vaccination for people above 45 years of age began across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir today and many people, both men and women, could be seen queuing up in the hospitals for Covishield jab. Earlier, the vaccination was confined to people above 60 years and 45 plus with co-morbidities.
Doctors said it was smooth affair in almost all Government hospitals where COVID jab is being given with not much rush or wait for those intending to get vaccine in view of large numbers of Government and private hospitals which have the facility.
A female teacher posted in Government Girls Higher Secondary School Satwari tested positive for the virus but she hadn’t reported to school for last five days. However, school management opted for COVID tests of the staff during which another female teacher reported positive.
School Principal Surjeet Singh told the Excelsior that a total of two teachers have tested positive for pathogen and not six as was being reported in Social Media. He added that repeat tests of the staff will be conducted tomorrow.
On examination of 12th class students being held in the School, Singh said none of the two teachers who have been found infected were on exam duty. He said Friday and Sunday are holidays and the school will remain shut on Saturday also for further sanitization which has already been done.
A 36-year-old man hailing from village Kangri in Sunderbani tehsil of Rajouri district today died of COVID-19 and some ailments in Chandigarh taking Corona toll in Jammu region to 737 and that of Rajouri to 56. Jammu district has recorded highest 381 casualties in the region.
Three COVID casualties were reported from Kashmir.
For the first time this year, Jammu region reported Corona positive cases in three digits at 100. Among them, Jammu district accounted for majority of 61 cases followed by Kathua 21, Samba six, Udhampur and Rajouri four each, Poonch three and Doda one. Kishtwar, Ramban and Reasi districts didn’t report any fresh cases today.
Thirty six persons recovered from the virus in Jammu including 26 in Jammu district and five each in Kathua and Samba districts.
Jammu region now has 53041 Coronavirus cases. Among them, 724 are active positives while 51580 have recovered from the virus and there have been 737 casualties in the region.
Meanwhile, Kashmir continues to report a spike in COVID-19 cases as 361 tested positive today.
Following spike in cases in Srinagar, the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar has decided to stop off line classes from tomorrow till further orders.
“In view of the increasing COVID – 19 cases, the students and the staff entering in the institute are hereby informed to follow the already notified SOPs strictly and in letter and spirit. Anyone found without mask will be fined and debarred from entering the institute campus,” read order issued by NIT Srinagar.
“Moreover it is notified that there will be no off line classes from 02-04 2021 till further orders. The B -Tech students of Batch 2019 and M – Tech Batch 2020 are informed to vacate the hostels immediately and proceed to their respective homes”, it read.
The final year B – Tech and M – Tech students, residing in the hostels are informed to either vacate the hostels or stay within boundaries of the hostels as neither they nor the day scholars of the said batch will be allowed to leave or enter the campus from tomorrow i.e. 2nd April, 2021″, the order said.
“For any emergency, the students can contact the concerned wardens. This is notified with prior approval of the competent authority”, it read.
And at least 35 students and seven teachers tested COVID-19 positive at Government Higher Secondary School in Hafroo Batapora area of Chadoora in Budgam district today.
The school administration has decided to close the institute for one week. All the primary and secondary contacts of the affected students have been advised to self-isolate and quarantine themselves.
Those who tested positive include 157 Srinagar, 76 Baramulla, 26 Budgam, 10 Pulwama, 10 Kupwara, 19 Anantnag, 05 Bandipora, 6 Ganderbal, 49 Kulgam and 3 from Shopian.
The number of positive cases in Kashmir division has reached 78,380 including 74,969 recoveries and 1,261 deaths.
The number of active cases in Jammu and Kashmir are 2,874 including 2,150 from Kashmir division.
Meanwhile, the UT of Ladakh released fresh COVID-19 management guidelines in which all passengers arriving in Ladakh, both by air and road were advised to get tested not later than 96 hours before arrival while labourers were asked to come through contractors or labour agencies with COVID report.
Issued by Saugat Biswas, Member Secretary, State Executive Committee Ladakh Disaster Management Authority, the guidelines called for ensuring that COVID tests are uniformly distributed in both Leh and Kargil districts with adequate testing to be done in the district reporting higher number of cases.
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