News Analysis India

Tag: Jammu COVID cases

  • Jammu witnesses over 1000 Covid deaths, majority of casualties recorded in May 

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: Jammu has become the first district in the UT to register over 1000 deaths due to Covid-19 and a majority of these fatalities have taken place in May alone. 

    Second-worst district, Jammu has recorded 49395 cases of Covid till May 27 since the outbreak last year. Srinagar, on the other hand, has 63825 cases, which are the highest in the UT. 

    However, the mortality rate in Jammu is higher than Srinagar or any other district of J&K.

    The district crossed 1000 casualty figure on May 26 and now the figure stands at 1013. Of the 1013 deaths, Jammu recorded 535 deaths in 27 days of May.

    Since the outbreak of Covid last year till April-end this year, Jammu had recorded only 478 deaths as compared to 536 in Srinagar.

    However, the district witnessed a high mortality rate this month and crossed the 1000 figure mark.

    The Srinagar district, which was ahead of Jammu in Covid-deaths till April-end, recorded 219 deaths in May so far. Jammu district’s mortality rate in May has been more than double when compared to Srinagar.

    Principal of Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma told The New Indian Express that 20 percent of patients brought to their hospital this month were “brought dead”. “It indicates that the patients were taking the virus lightly. And when their situation deteriorated, they only visited the hospital and died within 12 hours of their hospitalization,” she said.

    She further says that very sick patients were brought to the hospital and despite undergoing treatment for three months, many of them were still not able to breathe without oxygen support. “There has been irreversible lung damage among the patients”.

    She further said the variant of concern (B.1.617) has been detected in Jammu and it is more transmissible and has more mortality rate. 

    “We are also sending the samples for genome study routinely to find the variant,” she said, adding that unfortunately patients come to hospitals late and by the time they are being hospitalized, the virus has damaged their vital parts.

    After a surge in Covid deaths, the health department directed senior faculty members of hospitals to make frequent rounds of wards, where Covid patients are admitted so that patients are properly looked after and treated.

  • COVID-19: J&K records highest single-day spike with 3832 cases; curfew extended in four districts till May 6 

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday witnessed the highest single-day spike of 3832 COVID cases with 47 deaths, the highest death toll due to Covid in the state since the outbreak of coronavirus last year.

    In view of the surge in Covid cases and deaths, the administration has extended curfew in four districts including Srinagar up to May 6.

    Of the 47 Covid deaths, 30 were reported from the Jammu region and 17 in the Kashmir region.

    With the fresh deaths, the toll due to Covid in J&K has risen to 2330, of which 1411 are from Kashmir and 919 from Jammu.

    Of the 3832 cases, 1231 were reported from the Jammu region and 2601 from Kashmir.

    Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K, accounted for 1084 cases which is 28.28% of the cases recorded today. The north Kashmir district of Baramulla recorded 819 cases, central Kashmir’s Budgam 742 and Jammu 504 cases.

    In the last 24 hours, 1801 Covid patients have recovered, of which 689 were from the Jammu region and 1112 from Kashmir. The number of recovered patients in J&K now stands at 1,47,242 with 88,578 from Kashmir and 58,664 from the Jammu region.

    At present J&K has a total of 30,343 active cases, 19,171 are from Kashmir and 11,172 from the Jammu region.

    The administration decided to extend the 84-hour Corona curfew that was imposed in 11 out of 20 districts on Thursday. The curfew was extended in the four worst-hit districts of Srinagar, Baramulla, Budgam, and Jammu till 7 am on May 6.

    The curfew, which was imposed at 7 pm on Thursday, was to be lifted at 7 am on May 3.

    The government stated that the Corona curfew at night shall continue in all municipal and urban local body limits of all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

    “The night curfew will be in force from 8 pm to 7 am. Other restrictions when the curfew is not there continue as before,” added an official spokesman.

  • Green corridors for vehicles carrying oxygen cylinders to hospitals in Jammu

    By PTI
    JAMMU: District magistrates in Jammu region have been directed to ensure green corridors for vehicles carrying oxygen cylinders to hospitals, an official spokesman said on Sunday.

    The directions were passed by Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Raghav Langer at a meeting here to review the status of availability of medical oxygen supply to government hospitals, the spokesman said.

    He said Mission Director, NHM, Yasin Choudhary apprised the meeting about the availability, demand and supply position of oxygen cylinders in various health care institutions of Jammu division.

    The divisional commissioner has already constituted a committee headed by Controller Drug, J&K, and consisting of Joint Controller Legal Metrology Jammu, Controller Stores Directorate Health services Jammu and Joint Director Industries and Commerce to seek reports of production by eight private medical oxygen supply firms operating in industrial estates of Jammu, Samba, Kathua and Udhampur and to ensure the supply of oxygen to various districts.

    The divisional commissioner directed the committee to rationalize the demand and supply of cylinders to various health care institutions according to the requirement and occupancy, the spokesman said.

    Diversion of oxygen for any non medical or Industrial purposes has already been prohibited by the divisional administration.

    The divisional commissioner also directed deputy commissioners concerned to ensure that empty cylinders in the districts be filled on priority and timely, the spokesman said.

    He said deputy commissioners were also directed to conduct regular visits and check the medical oxygen supply agencies and ensure 24×7 power supplies in these oxygen manufacturing units.

    The divisional commissioner has directed district magistrates concerned to periodically review the same in view of the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases and to facilitate movements of vehicles carrying oxygen cylinders, the spokesman said.

    He also reviewed in detail the status of oxygen generation plants which are to be installed in 17 health care facilities across the Jammu division.

    Officers apprised the meeting about the present status of each plant and said work on all oxygen generation plants is in progress and most of these would start functioning within fixed timelines.

    The divisional commissioner directed the deputy commissioners to monitor and expedite civil and power supply related works on oxygen generation plants in their respective districts and ensure their timely completion to cater the demand of oxygen.

    “The upcoming oxygen generation plants will help in augmenting bed capacities in districts for successful treatment of COVID-19 positive patients”, Langer said.