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Over 5,000 cases added to J&K’s virus tally in just 11 days
J&K had witnessed 4,438 Covid cases in December, 4,603 in November, 2,819 in October, 4,011 in September, 3,957 in August and 5,800 cases in July
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Amid surging Covid cases, Jammu and Kashmir clocked highest monthly infections in first 11 days of January than the past five months.
From January 1 to 11, the UT recorded 5,216 infections, logging more cases than the total of any month since August 2021. Of these, 2,909 came from Jammu division and 2,307 from Kashmir.
The UT had witnessed 4,438 cases in December, 4,603 in November, 2,819 in October, 4,011 in September, 3,957 in August and 5,800 cases in July.
Authorities have said 13 cases of highly infectious Omicron variant have also been found in J&K – five of them in Kashmir valley.
Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Wednesday advised people to take precautions like wearing masks and avoiding crowds to protect themselves from the new variant.
DAK general secretary Dr Arshad Ali said vaccine remains the single best tool against Covid and its variants, including Omicron.
“Fully vaccinated people have significant protection against Omicron infection, serious illness and death,” he added. “Those who are unvaccinated should go and get it now. People who are eligible for boosters should take them as soon as possible to protect themselves, their families, loved ones and the community,” the doctor said.
January also saw 18 people succumbing to the disease in the UT.
The monthly test positivity rate (TPR) – the percentage of tests turning positive out of the total conducted during the period – increased by 220% in the first 11 days of January to reach 0.84% as against 0.26% in December. In the past one week alone, the test positivity rate reached 1.18%.
J&K’s Covid task force met under the chairmanship of chief secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta on Wednesday in view of the surge in cases.
According to a government spokesperson, the task force was told that Jammu and Kashmir has administered 1.94 crore jabs to vaccinate 107% and 101% eligible population with the first and second dose, respectively. “The UT is further speeding up its vaccination drive in the 15-18 age group and has already achieved 32% coverage,” the spokesperson said.
Mehta emphasised that Omicron has a growth advantage over the Delta variant and as such requires ardent mitigation and containment measures from an early stage, preferably when the positivity rate breaks out the 10% benchmark.
He urged people to remain vigilant since it has a high rate of transmission and can infect a larger group of people over shorter periods. “It remains the social and moral responsibility of every citizen to be responsible for themselves and those around them. They must exercise due diligence against any symptom of infection in the interest of their family members as well as that of society at large,” Mehta said.
The UT has conducted 6.18 lakh tests in the 11 days of January at 56,188 average tests daily.
The chief secretary directed ramping up of testing facilities in Jammu and Kashmir to conduct over two lakh daily tests in the coming days while maintaining the contact-tracing ratio at 1:15.
“At present, the bed occupancy in Jammu and Kashmir is less than 10% and the medical facilities are maintaining a healthy and comfortable state,” he said.
The UT is witnessing a steep rise in novel coronavirus cases for the past one week.
As many as 1,148 cases were detected on Tuesday, 706 on Monday, 687 on Sunday, 655 cases on January 8, 542 on January 7, 349 on January 6 and 418 cases on January 5.
The first four days of January had recorded daily cases ranging between 165 and 199 while in December the union territory had reported 143 average cases daily.
‘J&K figures among top-ranking UTs, states on vaccination front’
Jammu and Kashmir has figured among the best-equipped states and Union territories in the fight against the pandemic. It is also the second state/UT in the country to achieve 100% vaccination target of eligible population.
The statement has come from director health services, Jammu, Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman to allay the rising fears of the third Covid wave in the region.
He has advised the public not to neglect Covid-appropriate behaviour. “We have started witnessing an exponential rise in cases and there is a need to avoid panic and adopt Covid-appropriate behaviour,” he added.
He attributed the achievement of record number of vaccinations to close monitoring from the highest level of UT administration led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
“We have more than 84 functional oxygen plants, two 500-bed DRDO hospitals and over 250 ventilator-supported beds. ICUs are available at all district hospitals and sufficient number of beds for Covid patients are available up to the level of subdistrict hospitals,” he added.
He said there are sufficient paediatric Covid care facilities as well, including specialised equipment and specially trained paediatricians.
(With inputs from Ravi Khajuria in Jammu)
