Jammu: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha today spoke to former deputy chief minister of J&K, Muzaffar Hussain Baig and his wife Safina Baig, DDC Chairperson, Baramulla, on phone and enquired about their health & well-being.

He prayed for their speedy recovery, and healthy & long life.

Both Muzaffar Baig and his wife are under home quarantine after being tested positive for Covid-19. Doctors are regularly monitoring their health.

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Government on Monday informed that 442 new positive cases of novel Coronavirus (162 from Jammu division and 280 from Kashmir division), have been reported thus taking the total number of positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir to 133454.
Also two deaths have been reported from Kashmir Division.
Moreover, 241 more COVID-19 patients have recovered and discharged from various hospitals including 60 from Jammu Division and 181 from Kashmir Division.

According to the daily Media Bulletin on novel Coronavirus (Covid-19), out of 133454 positive cases, 4154 are Active Positive, 127290 have recovered and 2010have died; 741 in Jammu division and 1269 in Kashmir division.

The Bulletin further said that out of 6246356 test results available, 6112902 samples have been tested as negative till April 5.

Till date 1547565 persons have been enlisted for observation which included 53701 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 4154 in isolation and 121370in home surveillance.

Besides, 1366330 persons have completed their surveillance period.

Srinagar: In the aftermath of an upsurge in COVID-19 infections in Kashmir, the director health services on Monday cancelled all leaves granted to doctors and paramedics except maternity leave and the leave taken due to medical emergency.

In an order issued on Monday, director health services Kashmir, Mushtaq Ahmad Rather said because of the upsurge in COVID-19 spread in the Valley, all leaves granted to medical superintendents, district and block medical officers, other territorial officers and paramedics are cancelled forthwith.

All those except staff on maternity and medical emergency leave have been asked to report at their places of posting immediately.

It must be mentioned that during the last one week there has been an alarming surge in new COVID cases in the Valley.

The situation has become worrisome for the authorities because almost after two years tourism related activities had started picking up in Kashmir this spring.

Reports of more people reporting positive are feared to dampen the interest of people who are otherwise eager to come to Kashmir for holidays this summer and autumn.

Authorities have closed schools from today to check the spread of the virus among children who are turning out to be vulnerable to the new wave of COVID-19 affecting the Valley.

New Delhi: The second Covid wave having taken the daily surge across the 1 lakh mark in a first in the country, Dr Randeep Guleria — chief of Delhi’s All-India Institute of Medical Sciences — today underscored the need for mini containment zones, which should work like areas under lockdown. Calling the situation “very worrying”, Dr Guleria, who is also a key member of the government’s Covid Task Force, told NDTV, “If we can’t have a complete lockdown, we need to have containment zones”.

Dr Guleria suggested that containment zones, introduced last year as the lockdown was phased out, be used again as a strategy to contain the virus.

The containment zones, he said, should be like “mini lockdown so people cannot go out and a lot of testing tracking and isolation should be going on in these areas. Everyone who are in close contact (of patients) should be tested aggressively”. (NDTV)

Srinagar: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Monday said hospitals in Kashmir are witnessing a surge in severe cases of Covid-19 infection.

“A few weeks ago, we had drop in number of severe cases, but over the last few days hospitals are seeing increase in number of seriously-ill Covid-19 patients, much like we saw last spring,” said DAK President and influenza expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan.

“Patients in large numbers are coming to hospitals with severe bilateral pneumonia requiring oxygen, some needing intensive care and the support of ventilators to help them survive the respiratory distress. Our beds are full, oxygen points are occupied and we don’t have space in intensive care units.”

“Patients are coming with bad lungs when it is difficult to salvage them. Not only the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions, but young people are coming with severe disease and some of them are dying,” DAK President said.

“The rising number of cases over the past two weeks is now starting to reflect in rising number of hospitalizations,” he said.

“The number is expected to rise further in coming days as there are still massive number of people in the population who are susceptible to the virus.”

“The virus has once again become dangerous and is behaving aggressively which gives us to understand whether a mutated strain has sneaked into the valley because of huge tourist influx or we are dealing with an indigenous mutant,” Dr Nisar said.

“Another reason for resurgence of cases in the valley is because of public complacency.”

“People no longer regard pandemic as a risk and have thrown caution to the wind,” he said.

“Many people don’t wear masks and they don’t care for social distancing. Huge gatherings are seen in gardens and public functions.”

“Accelerated transmission of Covid-19 within the next few weeks would not be surprising considering the lackadaisical approach by most people towards the pandemic,” said Dr Nisar.

“People must continue to adhere to health guidelines to avoid catastrophic slipup.”

“And, it is vitally important to ramp up the vaccination process and vaccinate as many people as possible that too quickly to break the chain of  virus transmission,” he said.

By: Nadeem Nadu

Srinagar: A 60-year-old tourist from Gujarat died due to Covid-19 at a hospital here, officials said on Monday.
They said that the tourist was admitted on 2nd April in CD Hospital after testing positive. While he had tested negative one day prior at Airport.

Confirming the death, a doctor at the hospital told GNS that the tourist was suffering from “severe covid-19 Pneumonia” and died on Sunday.

Interestingly, the tourist like the one from Pune Maharashtra who died on Wednesday last had tested negative for the covid-19 at the Srinagar airport on arrival to Valley.

A few tourists are already admitted to CD hospital as well as Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Hospital, two of the exclusive facilities for the management of covid-19 patients here, officials told GNS.

Sources in these exclusive health facilities said that most of these tourists have tested negative at airport and those who arrived by road were reportedly not even tested en-route.

“Some tourists have arrived by road and told hospital authorities that they were not tested anywhere en-route,” they said, raising a question about the administrations concerns about stemming the spread of the covid-19 at a time when it’s rapidly spreading in India and elsewhere. The spread has already forced the closure of schools in Jammu and Kashmir. There is also threat of spread of new variants, already found in at least five patients in Jammu.

A doctor here told GNS that a new trend has been witnessed of late when people who had previously recovered are re-infected which strongly points towards a mutated strain. “There is pressing need to have a more rigorous exercise to identify these strains,” the doctor said.

Last week, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) called for genetic testing of Covid-19 positive samples to look for any mutated strain of the virus.

“Genetic testing would not only detect the known mutants that might have sneaked into the valley, but also check whether any mutant has emerged within the region,” the doctors’ body said.

Sources said that it is also not the case that samples are not being subjected to genome sequencing. “There is need to increase the frequency as the cases subjected to genome sequencing are very few,” they said, adding, “re-infection in some patients could even be due to weakening antibodies but increased genome sequencing and other related tests would only increase certainty about the reasons rather than rely on hypothesis.”

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir High Court has put its order regarding resumption of physical hearing in abeyance amid surge in covid-19 cases.

As per an order by Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal, the hearing of cases in the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir as well as in the District and Subordinate Courts and Tribunals shall be conducted through “Virtual Mode” for time being.

“Entry of litigants and public into the Court premises from the very outer gate shall continue to be prohibited,” reads an order, a copy of which lies with GNS.

In addition to virtual hearing, the Chief Justice said that the matters may also be taken up for physical hearing, where the counsel for both the parties to the case give their consent for such physical hearing. “if counsel for either party declines or fails to give such consent in that event the roster bench may consider the request of other counsel for physical hearing,” the order reads

Identification of cases for physical hearing shall be done by the concerned Registrar Judicial a day before the date of listing, the order said.

“Advocates concerned in a particular case, who intend to get their case listed for physical hearing, shall give written consent for physical appearance and provide the requisite detail of the case to the concerned Registrar Judicial through email at least two days before the date of listing.”

The Registrar Judicial concerned, then, shall provide list of such counsel whose cases are listed for physical hearing, well in time to the incharge Security at the main gate to facilitate entry of such counsel, it said.

“In order to decongest the sections/ offices /Courts, the officials shall be permitted to function in batches with 25 percent reduction on rotation basis.”

The roster in this regard, the order said, shall be formulated by the Registrar Judicial of the concerned wing.

“The officials, who as per the roster are not on duty in the office, shall not leave the station and shall remain available on telephone and electronic means of communication at all times.”

The staff on duty and the counsel appearing physically in Court shall take necessary precautions, ensure physical distancing, wearing of mask and observance of SOPs and guidelines issued by the respective Governments (J&K and Ladakh) from time to time.”

Regarding district and Subordinate Courts and Tribunals in J&K and Ladakh, the CJ‘s order said that entry of litigants and public into the Court premises from the very outer gate shall continue to be prohibited. “Pr. District & Sessions Judges, taking into consideration the urgency involved, apart from virtual hearing, may, where the counsel for the parties /parties in person involved give their consent to appear for physical hearing, permit physical hearing in Criminal trials where accused is /are in Custody, Matrimonial Cases, MACT Cases, Cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, Compromise matters or in any other matter as deemed desirable in the courts under their jurisdiction.” The courts under the supervision of concerned Pr. District & Sessions Judge, the order said, shall devise their own mechanism for listing of cases for physical hearing after taking consent of respective counsel, subject to their own assessment of prevailing local conditions including the intensity of COVID-19 infection. “The staff on duty in courts and the counsel appearing physically shall take necessary precautions, ensure physical distancing, wearing of mask and observance of SOPs and guidelines issued by the respective Governments from time to time.”

In order to decongest the sections/ offices of the Courts, the officials working in the Subordinate Courts, shall be permitted to function in batches with 25 percent reduction on rotation basis, the order added. (GNS)

Srinagar: A woman and her 6-year-old son were charred to death when six houses were gutted in a devastating fire in the uptown Srinagar in the wee hours of Monday, official sources said.

They said fire broke out in a house of one Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh at Dogerpati Haftchinar area in uptown Srinagar at about 0030 hrs. However, fire spread to other adjacent houses before the fire tenders could control the leaping flames.

Police personnel from the nearby Shergari police station and locals from adjoining  areas joined the operation to douse the flames.

Wife of Sheikh identified as 40-year-old Ajmeera and son Mohammad Abbas Sheikh (Six) who were sleeping in their house, made mostly of wood, could not be rescued after roof collapsed, they said.

Fire tenders from different parts of the city, including Fire and Emergency Department, Batmaloo extinguished the fire.

However, the duo were rescued in a critical burn injuries and taken to SMHS hospital where they were declared brought dead.

They said six houses and other household goods worth lakhs of rupees had been damaged in the fire.

The cause of fire was not known, sources said adding police has registered a case and initiated proceedings.

Meanwhile, officials from District Administration have reached the spot to assess the damage and provided temporary shelters and other relief material to the affected families.

Srinagar: In a first, Government has decided to shun the requirement of physical movement of files records from Jammu to Srinagar and vice-versa.
“It has been decided to completely switch over to e-office by 15^th of April, 2021. To ensure its timely implementation all record files of various government departments have been digitized except some files records which are sensitive/confidential in nature and requires to be carried to Srinagar,” KNS quoted officials as having said.
“While finalizing Darbar Move arrangements, it has been decided that only ten trucks shall be arranged for shifting such sensitive record files to Srinagar,” officials added.
They said that all the Administrative Secretaries have been asked to compile a list of such confidential/sensitive files records, including files/records of respective subordinate move offices.  (KNS)

Exercise will us to support genuine publications: Joint Director

Srinagar: Teams of officials of Information & Public Relations Department on Monday visited newspaper offices and checked their documents and infrastructure related to publication and printing of the newspapers and also the authenticity of manpower available with the newspapers.

The officials checked records related to printing and publication and also the infrastructure available there.
They also discussed several issues with editors of newspapers.
Letters about the inspection were mailed by the Information Department last week.
Meanwhile, the Information Department has extended the last date for submitting applications and documents under the new J&K media policy for fresh empanelment of newspaper till April 20.

Talking to KNS, Joint Director Information & Public Relations Haris Handoo said, “The exercise is being carried out to check office infrastructure and staff employed by the newspapers and publications. This would enable the department to support genuine publications who are running their newspapers professionally”.