14 new COVID19 cases were reported from Kashmir on Monday taking the J&K total to 368. No new case was detected in Jammu division.
For the past six days COVID19 curve in Kashmir hasstabilized. While on 14 April, the number of cases reported from Kashmir stoodat six, a day later on 15 April 18 cases were reported from the division. Thenumber, since, has remained steady ranging between 12 and 14 cases per day. OnSunday too, the number of new positives reported from Kashmir was 14.
Prof Parvaiz A Koul, head department of internal andpulmonary medicine at SKIMS called the trend encouraging but warned againstdeducting meaning from these numbers on face value. “The people who have andare testing positive are contacts mostly – immediate and high risk,” he said.He said that surveillance of red zones would give a “fairer estimate” of thetoll of the virus in J&K.
Dr S Saleem Khan, head department of community medicine atGMC Srinagar and head of the task force on epidemiological study of COVID19also called for epidemiological study for a better estimate.” Epidemiologicalstudy among the population of red zones and other areas would determine the extentof COVID19 cases in the community. “However, for now, with the quantum of testsbeing done, the number of positives are more or less stable,” he said.
With the total number of positive cases in J&K at 368,Kashmir has the major share – 313 cases. Two districts, Bandipora and Srinagar,with 91 and 79 cases respectively, account for 54 percent of cases.
Continuing the trend, seven new cases of COVID19 werereported from Bandipora today, all contacts of a COVID19 positive case. Twocases that tested positive were from Muqam Shahwali in Kupwara district.
Dr Farooq Jan, medical superintendent SKIMS, said sixpatients recovered and were discharged from the hospital. Four of these, hesaid, were Bandipora district.
A total of 15 patients were discharged from hospitals today,after they recovered from COVID19 infection.
Anantnag had its largest single day escalation of cases withfive new patients. Their samples were tested at CD Hospital. Dr Khan said 236tests had been carried out in 24 hours at the lab.
Government media bulletin today said 60,419 travellers andpersons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance whichinclude 6,071 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated bygovernment, 285 in hospital isolation, 252 in hospital quarantine and 25,692under home surveillance. Besides, 28,114 persons have completed theirsurveillance period.