J&K is witnessing a rise in the clusters of positive cases within families, a trend worrying experts. A senior health official said that the Health and Medical Education department, in a recent meeting, sought explanation from its officials about the lesser number of contacts traced per case and why the average number of contacts traced per case was less than 15.
Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education, AtalDulloo has issued orders of ‘increasing contacts traced and focus on families, work place and social contacts of the positive cases’. Talking to Greater Kashmir, a senior physician said the Health department needed to increase random testing at the offices, educational institutes and other places where people assemble.
Meanwhile, eight persons died while 565 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in J&K on Friday. Three persons who had tested positive for COVID19 lost life in Kashmir division. These were a 71-year-old woman from ShangusAnantnag, a 65-year-old woman from Nagam, Budgam and a 65-year-old man from HMT, Srinagar. Five people were reported to have lost life in Jammu division.
On Friday, 565 people were reported as positive. Of these, 327 were from Jammu division and 238 from Kashmir division. The positive cases in Jammu division have increased after the recent festive season, a health official said. He said the health department had also increased testing in the districts of the division for early detection of cases. Jammu district had 142 new cases on Friday, the highest in J&K. Srinagar district reported 88 cases. Over 27,000 samples were tested and reported in the past 2 hours, J&K government’s bulletin on the pandemic said.