J&K saw 73 new cases of COVID19 on Wednesday, taking the toll of the viral illness here to 1390. While J&K crossed one lakh tests conducted on Wednesday, the majority of new cases were people returning to J&K from other states.
Of today’s positives, 37 were from Kashmir division, while 36 were from Jammu division. Jammu had its highest single day increase of cases, most of the new ones travellers sampled at entry points, health department said.
Three pregnant women tested positive in Kashmir on Wednesday. One of these women, referred to Lal Ded Hospital, from a non-red zone in Kulgam district delivered on Tuesday evening. The patient, who had suffered complications related to pregnancy, had been referred from Shopian and was sampled by Lal Ded Hospital. Today her sample was found positive. The report, Prof Samia Rashid, principal of GMC Srinagar said, necessitated quarantine of staff, including doctors.
Her sample was tested at CD Hospital virology lab, which reported 17 positives out of 706 tested in 24 hours. The other samples that tested positive at the lab include two pregnant women from Kulgam, apart from the one who already delivered. Two other samples taken at GMC Anantnag and four taken at PHC Larnoo were also reported to be positive.
Eight samples of travellers returning to various areas of Jammu division also tested positive at CD Hospital, Dr S Saleem Khan, nodal officer COVID19 and head department of preventive and community medicine at GMC Srinagar said.
At SKIMS, 44 samples tested positive out of the 1992 processed in 24 hours. Medical Superintendent SKIMS, Dr Farooq Jan said 17 of these were from Jammu division. 14 samples taken in Srinagar also tested positive today at SKIMS VRDL lab. However, Dr Jan said, these samples were of Kupwara residents taken in Srinagar.
In addition, eight samples from district Baramulla, four from Kupwara, one from Pulwama, most of these travellers, tested positive.
Samples from Kashmir division were also reported positive from labs outside Kashmir.
According to J&K government data, the cumulative district-wise rise of cases on Wednesday was recorded as – Kupwara (17), Baramulla (8), Kulgam (5), Anantnag (5), Bandipora (1), Pulwama (1). In Jammu division – Jammu (20), Udhampur (5), Ramban (3), Kishtawar (3), Samba (2), Kathua, Poonch and Reasi – one each.
J&K government’s media bulletin on COVID19 said that a total of 101910 tests have been carried out till date out of which 1390 have been found positive. Currently, 694 active positives are reported in both divisions together whereas 678 patients have recovered till date of the viral infection.
Eighteen people have died of COVID19 till date, Government said.