J&K records nine deaths, 400 COVID-19 positive cases every day in July

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 2

Jammu and Kashmir has recorded over 400 COVID-19 positive cases and an average of nine deaths every day in the month of July, with as many as 277 patients losing their lives during this month.

The number of positive cases also jumped from 7,497 to 20,359 in July.

Not only positive cases have increased manifold in the past month, but the recovery rate also dipped from 63 per cent to nearly 58 per cent. Since the detection of the first COVID-19 case in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the highest number of deaths — 277 — were reported in July.

Also read: COVID-19 count crosses 21,000-mark in J&K with 444 cases; death toll 396

The situation in the Union Territory is going from bad to worse, especially in the two capital cities of Jammu and Kashmir — Jammu and Srinagar.

On June 30, there were 938 positive cases in Srinagar district, of which 320 have recovered with 24 deaths reported. Meanwhile, the number of positive cases has jumped to 4,786 on July 31 with 120 deaths.

As far as Jammu is concerned, of the total 348 positive cases, 280 have recovered, taking the recovery rate to over 80 per cent on June 30. But this rate dipped to 53 per cent on July 31 as of the 1,070 positive cases, only 574 recovered in the month of July.

In July, the highest ever 2,72,457 samples were collected. On average, over 7,800 samples were tested every day, of which over 400 tested positive for the virus.

Since March 9, when the first coronavirus case was detected in Jammu and Kashmir, as many as 3,65,058 samples have been collected for testing for the deadly virus. But in the month of July alone, as many as 2,72,457 tests were conducted.

Not only is this death toll increasing in Jammu and Kashmir, but the spread of the virus in the remotest and far-flung areas is also another concern for the authorities. These areas are considered as “inaccessible” due to poor road connectivity but the deadly virus is slowly spreading in these belts also.

COVID positive cases are being reported from the remotest areas of hilly belts of Ramban, Rajouri, Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu province.

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