COVID-19: J&K reports 24 new cases; total cases in UT reach 184

Four patients have died in the UT so far

A municipal worker sprays disinfectant during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown in Srinagar | AFP A municipal worker sprays disinfectant during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown in Srinagar | AFP

The number of persons infected with novel coronavirus has surged to 184 in Jammu and Kashmir after 24 new cases were reported on Thursday.

The Union territory has witnessed a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases with 57 people testing positive in the last two days. 

“#COVID19 #JammuAndKashmir 24 more positive in Kashmir. Total 184. 32 in Jammu, 152 in Kashmir. All are contacts. A result of aggressive testing," tweeted J&K government spokesman Rohit Kansal.

Kansal attributed the surge in the number of positive cases to aggressive testing. Most of the fresh cases are contacts of the previous cases.

On Wednesday, 33 cases were reported from the UT—30 in Kashmir and three in Jammu.

Four patients have died while another four persons have been discharged after recovering in the UT since the outbreak of the pandemic.

The first death due to COVID-19 was a 65-year-old man from Srinagar who had attended the Nizamuddin congregation of Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi. The other two belonged to Baramulla and Bandipora in north Kashmir 

The fourth was a 60-year-old woman from Udhampur in Jammu. She died a few hours after she was brought to GMC Jammu due to chest pain on Wednesday night. Her  test reports were received after her death was confirmed.    

According to the government media bulletin, a total of 40,336 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance. Among them 8,494 persons are in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 518 in hospital quarantine, 130 in hospital isolation and 23,364 under home surveillance.

The bulletin said 7,830 people have completed 28 days of surveillance.