As many as 718 new cases of COVID19 were confirmed in J&K on Wednesday, the total positive cases here reaching 16429.
The Kashmir division had 601 cases today; over 90 police and other security personnel, 18 pregnant women and a 15-month old baby are among the new cases from Kashmir, health officials said.
Srinagar district today too had a high number of positive cases. 158 people belonging to the district tested positive today. Of these, 14 had been sampled upon their arrival from outside. A health official said many cases reported from Srinagar today were among the samples that had been sent to private labs for testing.
The official said many people who were found positive for COVID19 in Srinagar today had reported to hospitals with symptoms of COVID19. “Many people who are experiencing symptoms of COVID19 are coming forward for testing now,” he said. The doctor said that COVID19 testing in people with symptoms of fever, breathlessness, cough, flu, fatigue and others should be encouraged so that more lives can be saved with early intervention.
Shopian had 109 cases of COVID19. An official said over 50 of the cases reported today from the district were among the samples taken at security camps and police lines. He said many samples among service providers working in red zone areas of the district were also found positive.
Kulgam reported 106 cases of COVID19 today. Over 40 people among these were from security battalions, a health official said. 12 pregnant women also tested positive in Kulgam, while many service providers such as shopkeepers, pharmacists, milkmen, bakers from areas such as DH Pora , Yaripora, Wanpora and others were positive.
The cases reported from other districts of Kashmir today were: Baramulla 29, Anantnag 33, Kupwara 32, Pulwama 56, Budgam 34, Bandipora 42, Ganderbal 2.
116 cases were reported from Jammu division today. These included 70 people who had been sampled upon their return from outside the UT.
In Kashmir, 28 people arriving from outside tested positive today.
102 people were discharged from hospitals today after they recovered from COVID19. The cumulative total of recovered patients reached 8709.
Currently, 7438 cases of COVID19 are active and undergoing treatment at various health facilities in the UT.