J&K records over 3K fresh Covid cases, 40 fatalities

Jammu, May 26

The J&K Union Territory recorded 3,037 fresh Covid cases on Wednesday that took its tally to 2,78,859, while 40 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 3,702, according to an official bulletin.

Meanwhile, J&K’s winter capital Jammu has became the first district in the UT to register over 1,000 deaths linked to the pandemic since its outbreak last year.

Jammu replaced Srinagar to be at the top of the Covid fatality chart among the 20 districts early this month, prompting the Central Government to rush a team of doctors to look into the alarming trend of high mortality among the positive patients in the province.

Jammu district is also heading the chart with 6,929 active cases in the UT against 5,895 in summer capital Srinagar till Wednesday evening.

There are 43,892 positive cases in J&K — 26,168 in Kashmir division and 17,724 in Jammu division. Among the new fatalities, Jammu district accounted for nine deaths, taking the district’s tally to 1,003 followed by Srinagar at 751. So far, Jammu district has recorded 49,011 Covid cases and Srinagar 63,448.

Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam said the daily number of Covid cases had reduced from an all-time high of 5,500 to 2,200 in the past two weeks. The case positivity rate came down from 13% to 6.2%. — PTI

53 detained Rohingya immigrants test positive in Kathua

As many as 53 detained Rohingyas tested positive for Covid during a special three-day testing drive at a holding centre in Kathua district. All are asymptomatic. At least 220 Rohingyas are presently lodged in the holding centre for residing here illegally. The administration has already started the process of their deportation.

2nd black fungus death in UT

• Another confirmed black fungus victim died in J&K on Wednesday. Eight patients, suspected to be suffering from mucormycosis, are being treated in the Union Territory.
• The UT had registered first death of a Covid patient suffering from black fungus at the GMC Hospital in Jammu on May 22. ians