From last more than three weeks, Jammu and Kashmir has reported more than a thousand cases every day. From 39943 cases as on September 03, the case tally as sprinted to 68614, recording an addition of whopping 28671 infections in as many as 21 days.
Srinagar district with 13800 and Jammu with 11147 cases account for more than one-third of the total infections in J&K as 18 other districts cumulatively have 43667 cases. The figures are suggestive of the fact that while the number remains relatively higher in urban areas, the rural areas are not grossly unaffected. This makes the covid-19 challenge more monumental. There are also 19451 active cases and fortuitously, most of these patients do not require to be admitted to the hospitals. Otherwise, the situation would have been more critical and would have frail health infrastructure under tremendous stress. As per the government’s owning showing, there are a total of 3609 ‘COVID dedicated beds’ and 1013 are occupied hitherto. One would imagine the situation if all or even half of the patients required hospitalization. With over 2600 beds still vacant, the situation looks cozy. However, if the cases continue to rise and with winter around the corner, the situation may exacerbate or even worsen. The human resources are already stretched and strained across the Jammu and Kashmir given the fact that the virus has been raging for more than six months now. The situation remains more challenging than it was in the beginning. Meeting the challenge is a monumental task. The surge in cases can be controlled by scaling testing only. It can prevent asymptomatic patients from traveling from one place to another and in the process check the spread of the virus. While a healthy person can survive, people with comorbidity become more vulnerable. Of late, the testing has been increased but not the proportions it ought to have been. There is also a lack of thorough adherence to the indispensable measures such as wearing masks and hygiene etiquettes by the people. The government machinery has been found wanting in taking action against the violators which otherwise gives a free run to the virus to spread.
As time ticks away and the last phase of unlocking on September 30, the battles have to be fought and won on every front against the pestilence.
