40 fresh coronavirus cases in Kashmir, six dead
On a day when J&K recorded the highest the single day spike of COVID-19 cases after 40 new cases were reported from Kashmir, the UT also recorded sixth COVID-19-related deaths, after a 72-year-old man from North Kashmir, died in a Srinagar hospital on Saturday.
The total number of COVID-19 deaths in J&K has now reached to six, while the number of positive cases has reached 494. Health officials say that the patient from Tangmarg in Baramulla district was admitted to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Hospital at Bemina on April 13 and was COVID-19 positive.
“The patient died at the hospital today. He was admitted with severe COVID pneumonia, atrial fibrillation with hypertension,” Principal SKIMS Medical College Dr Riyaz Ahmad Untoo told The Indian Express.
According to SKIMS doctors, when the patient was referred from Government Medical College in Baramulla, he was already COVID-19 positive.
In Baramulla, health officials said that the patient was admitted to the hospital on April 11, and his samples were sent on the same day. “He was tested positive on April 13 and we referred him to Srinagar for further treatment as his condition had started deteriorating,” said an official from Baramulla hospital.
Of the total six deaths reported in J&K, five are from Kashmir and one is from Jammu division. Among the five deaths in Kashmir, four patients belong to North Kashmir districts.
Saying that J&K has broken the 1000 test barrier and in the last 24 hours, 1071 tests were conducted, J-K Government Spokesperson Rohit Kansal said on Saturday that the total number of cases in J&K has reached to 494.
“Finally J&K breaks the 1000 test barrier- 1071 samples tested in the last 24 hours. But that also means more positives- so 40 new cases today- all from Kashmir. Total positive cases now 494. Jammu-57 Kashmir-437. An unfortunate death too; total deaths now 6,” Kansal tweeted on Saturday.
As per the health bulletin released by the information department, the highest number of cases in Kashmir division has been reported from Bandipora and Srinagar districts of the division.
Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Twitter, “The jump of 40 cases in J&K has to be seen in the light of greater testing. For the 1st time J&K conducted more than 1000 tests in a 24 hour period & so the number of positive cases has also jumped. We need to be careful but not alarmist. Tweets that spread panic won’t help anyone.”
