Four members of a family hailing from Tikri area of Udhampur, who lost their mother due to coronavirus on late Wednesday night, tested positive on Friday taking the total number of positive cases in Jammu&Kashmir to 207.
The total number of positive cases have jumped from 106 to 207 in last five days across Jammu&Kashmir. The total number of active cases in J&K stood at 197.
On Friday, 23 fresh cases of covid-19 were detected, 16 from Kashmir valley and seven from Jammu region.
Out of 207 cases, Srinagar district has reported maximum number of 51 cases in Kashmir region while Udhampur district has reported maximum number of 17 cases across Jammu division. Jammu district has reported six cases so far. One death each has been reported from Srinagar, Baramulla, Bandipora and Udhampur district.
Meanwhile, with fresh spike in positive cases, the war against the coronavirus is entering a crucial phase.
On ground zero, the government agencies have launched door to door screening of suspected cases and aggressive tracing of contact persons of positive cases across areas already declared as ‘red-zones’.
In a interview to a national news agency in Jammu, Lt Governor GC Murmu Friday said, “so far 1900 people have been identified here who were present in Nizamuddin’s Markaz. We traced them through their phone numbers &they cooperated with us. They are being tested & have been kept in isolation. The work is underway in a pro-active manner”.
Spokesman of the Jammu&Kashmir Government Rohit Kansal tweeted, “Today’s positives include 7 members of a religious congregation who were traced, and isolated on 27th March. Just proves that determined tracking works. Appeal please cooperate”.
Since majority of cases in Jammu division have been reported from Udhampur, Deputy Commissioner Dr Piyush Singla Friday said, “Complete lockdown in Udhampur town and adjacent areas to continue. He said four areas have been declared 4 red zones in the district and general public has been advised to wear masks in red zone”.
Speaking to a news agency, Lt Gov GC Murmu also said, “Restrictions will continue in the 34 red zones that we have identified in Jammu and Kashmir, even after April 14. There will be selective restrictions, movement and social distancing in these zones. Planning for this is underway”.
Referring to availability of masks and PPE’s for health care workers, Lt Gov Murmu said, “We have 17,000 N95 masks,13,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) kits, and 200 ventilators. We will soon have 80,000 rapid testing kits which will be used in red zones identified here, for early detection of #COVID19: Jammu&Kashmir”.