Death toll rises to 1685; total cases at 109854

Nadeem Nadu/Precious Kashmir News

Srinagar, Nov 29: The Jammu and Kashmir reported five more COVID-19 deaths, while 471 more people tested positive for the virus during the last 24-hours, officials said on Sunday.
They said that fatality count due to COVID-19 has mounted to 1685 across the union territory while 109854 have tested positive for the pestilence till date.

Among those who succumbed to virus, today three were from Jammu region and two from Kashmir which took the death toll past 1100-mark in the Valley, officials said.

The victims from the Valley include a 65-year-old man from Noorbagh Baramulla, a 75-year-old woman from Handwara. The victims from Jammu include two from Udhampur district and one from the J&K’s winter capital—a 77-year-old from Old Rehari Amphalla.

With these deaths, the total fatality count in the Valley has reached 1101 and 584 in the Jammu region.

Srinagar district with 416 deaths tops the list followed by Jammu (298), Baramulla (163), Budgam (100), Pulwama (86), Kupwara (83), Anantnag (78), Doda (56), Bandipora (50), Kulgam (50), Rajouri (49), Udhampur (49), Ganderbal (38), Shopian (37), Kathua (36), Samba (29), Poonch (22), Ramban (18), Kishtwar(16), and Reasi (9).

JK reports 471 new cases, 103082 recover till date

Meanwhile, the government on informed that 471 new positive cases of novel Corona virus (COVID-19), 260 from Jammu division and 211 from Kashmir division, were reported on Sunday thus taking the total number of positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir to 109854.

Moreover, 491 more COVID-19 patients have recovered and discharged from various hospitals including 168 from Jammu Division and 323 from Kashmir Division.

According to the daily Media Bulletin on novel Corona virus (Covid-19), out of 109854 positive cases, 5087  are Active Positive, 103082 have recovered and 1685 have died; 584 in Jammu division and 1101 in Kashmir division.

The bulletin further said that out of 2995668 test results available, 2885814 samples have been tested as negative till November 29, 2020.

Till date 786587 persons have been enlisted for observation which included 20673 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 5087 in isolation and 39874 in home surveillance. Besides, 719268 persons have completed their surveillance period.

Providing district-wise breakup, the Bulletin said that Srinagar has 22975 positive cases (including 86 cases reported today) with 1165 Active Positive, 21394 recovered (including 126 cases recovered today), 416 deaths; Baramulla has 7437 positive cases (including 31 cases reported today) with 323 Active Positive, 6951 recovered (including 59 cases recovered today), 163 deaths; Budgam reported 6876 positive cases (including 21 cases reported today) with 255 active positive cases, 6521 recovered (including 53cases recovered today), 100 deaths; Pulwama has 5087 positive cases (including 16 cases reported today) with 147 Active Positive, 4854 recoveries (including 21 cases recovered today), 86 deaths; Kupwara has 5192 positive cases (including 14 cases reported today) with 242Active Positive, 4867 recovered (including 27 cases recovered today) and 83 deaths; Anantnag district has 4546 positive cases (including 12 cases reported today) with 131 Active Positive, 4337 recovered (including 06 cases recovered today), 78 deaths;  Bandipora has 4410 positive cases (including 15 cases reported today) with 145 Active Positive and 4215 recoveries(including 08 cases recovered today), 50 deaths; Ganderbal has 4184positive cases (including 06 cases reported today) with 194 Active Positive, 3952 recoveries (including 18 cases recovered today), 38deaths; Kulgam has 2591 positive cases (including 01 case reported today) with 51 Active Positive, 2490 recoveries and 50 deaths while as Shopian has 2348 positive cases (including 09 cases reported today) with 74 active positive cases, 2237 recoveries (including 05 cases recovered today)and 37 deaths.

Similarly, Jammu has 20596 positive cases (including 122 cases reported today) with 670 active positive cases, 19628 recoveries (including 104 cases recovered today), 298 deaths; Rajouri has 3470 positive cases (including 24 cases reported today) with 142 active positive cases, 3279 recovered (including 06 cases recovered today), 49 deaths; Udhampur has 3539 positive cases (including 26 cases reported today) with 462 active positive, 3028 recoveries (including 09 cases recovered today) and 49 deaths; Doda has 3106 positive cases (including 22 cases reported today) with 237 Active positive, 2813 recovered (including 22 cases recovered today), 56 deaths; Kathua has 2785 positive cases (including 14 cases reported today) with 107 active positive cases, 2642 recovered (including 07 cases recovered today) and 36 deaths; Poonch has 2390 positive cases (including 02 cases reported today) with 58 Active Positive, 2310 recoveries (including 04 cases recovered today)and 22 deaths; Samba has 2465 positive cases (including 15 cases reported today) with 195 active positive cases, 2239 recoveries and 31 deaths; Kishtwar has 2478 positive cases (including 17 cases reported today) with 269 active positive, 2193 recoveries (including 16 cases recovered today) and 16 deaths; Ramban has 1920 positive cases (including 17 cases reported today) with 132 active positive, 1770 recoveries and 18 deaths while Reasi has 1459 positive cases (including 01  case reported today) with 88 active positive cases, 1362 recoveries  and 09 deaths.

According to the bulletin, among the total 109854 positive cases in J&K, 10738 have been reported as travelers while 99116 as others.

The bulletin said that the breakup represents districts from which the patients have been traced or are ordinarily residing.

The bulletin added that there are 1306 COVID dedicated beds, 1170 Isolation beds with 1000 vacant beds and 136 ICU beds where 80 beds are vacant in Jammu division while there are 2345 COVID dedicated beds, 2197 Isolation beds where 1777 beds are vacant and 148 ICU beds where 117 are vacant beds in Kashmir division. There are a total of 3651 COVID dedicated beds, 3367 Isolation beds with 2777 beds  vacant and 284 ICU beds with 197 vacant beds in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Central Government is continuously monitoring the evolving situation of Covid-19 in the Union Territory and is providing all necessary support towards effective containment of the spread of Covid-19 and better clinical management of positive cases.

New Delhi, Nov 29: India’s coronavirus caseload rose to 93,92,920 with 41,810 fresh infections, according to data updated by the Union Health Ministry on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to over 88.02 lakh.

The death toll climbed to 1,36,696 with 496 new fatalities, the government data showed.

There are 4,53,956 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country as on date, the data stated.

The total discharged cases are at 88,02,267 with 42,298 new recoveries in the last 24 hours.

The Indian Council of Medical Research said that a total of 13,95,03,803 samples have been tested for Covid-19 up to 28 November. Of these, 12,83,449 samples were tested yesterday, the ICMR added.

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Nov 29: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Sunday said people can catch flu and COVID-19 at the same time this winter which increases the chances of death.

“Having flu and Covid together puts you at significantly increased risk of dying,” said DAK President and influenza expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan.

“According to a study carried out in United Kingdom during the early phase of pandemic, people infected with both viruses were 2.27 times more likely to die than those with Covid-19 alone and 5.92 times more likely to die than those without any of the infection,” he said

“The researchers involved in the study analysed data on almost 20,000 people who were tested for both Covid and influenza. A total of 58 of those tested were positive for both viruses. 43 percent of those with co-infection died, compared with 27 per cent of those who only had the coronavirus.”

Dr Nisar said getting infected even with one infection makes you more vulnerable to getting sick with the other.

“If you contract flu, your defenses go down, and you are at a higher risk of getting severe Covid-19 infection and that increases your risk of ending up in ICU or on a ventilator,” he said.

“Symptoms of flu and Covid-19 are pretty similar. So it is difficult to distinguish the two”, he said adding the best way to know if you have the novel coronavirus or the flu is to get tested for both viruses,” Dr Nisar said.

“We can’t be complacent about flu which can alone cause lot of trouble and with Covid-19 still raging, two together can wreak havoc,” he said.

“That makes this year’s flu vaccine vitally important. Influenza vaccine will not only protect you from flu, but it will also offer some protection against Covid-19 infection.” “It is never too late to get your flu shot. If you haven’t got yourself vaccinated yet, go and get it now. Vaccination should continue to be offered throughout the flu season which begins in October and can last as late as May.

People should continue to follow Covid-19 precautions that will also help guard against flu,” said Dr Nisar.

“My son gets easily irritated over small things. The schools are closed but at least my son used to go out in vicinity to play with his friends. Now, due to the fear of coronavirus we don’t allow him to step out of the house. This makes him more aggressive,”

Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar, Nov 29: Security for the ongoing District Development Council elections (DDC) has been beefed up in Kashmir
In the first electoral exercise in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370, nearly 51.76 per cent turnout was recorded on Saturday in the maiden District Development Council (DDC) poll.
Top officials of the security agencies told news agency KINS that they are aware that the militants may try to prevent the election and there may be attacks. “Security for the elections in Jammu and Kashmir has been strengthened. Companies with 49 more security forces have already been deployed for the elections along with security agencies deployed in the valley,” one of the top police officials said, insisting not to be named.
Along with the DDC elections, there will be elections for sarpanches and panches lying vacant in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The entire Line of Control and the International Border have been beefed up to prevent intruders from infiltrating the plains as well as along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir” the official maintained.
These elections have become very interesting due to the participation of all political parties in local elections in Jammu and Kashmir and all the parties of the opposition are standing together in the electoral arena and they have a direct contest with the ruling BJP.
By-elections to around 13,241 vacant seats of sarpanchs and panchs and 228 vacant seats of the urban local bodies will also be held simultaneously. The polls will conclude on December 22. Refugees from West Pakistan, who got the domicile rights last year, are also entitled to exercise their right to vote for the first time.
This is the first electoral exercise in J&K since the abrogation of special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and its bifurcation into two UTs of J&K and Ladakh.
Last month, the Union government had amended the J&K Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, for the formation of the DDCs instead of district development boards, which existed in the erstwhile state of J&K. Each district in the UT will be divided into 14 territorial constituencies and voters will directly elect these council members.
On the first day of polling J&K’s Election Commissioner KK Sharma had said the first round of polling in the eight-phased poll passed off peacefully, except for a minor incident of stone-pelting in Kulgam.
Out of the 3.62 lakh voters, 1.93 lakh were men and 1.79 lakh women, he added. Jammu registered 64.2 per cent turnout and Kashmir 40.6 per cent, Sharma had told reporters in a press conference.

Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, Nov 29: “The first phase of maiden by-elections to vacant seats of Panchayat level bodies has recorded 64 percent and 57 percent polling turnout here on Saturday”, informed State Election Commissioner, K.K Sharma.

SEC informed that a total of 85363 electors exercised their franchise in these historic elections, which began at 7 am with culmination at 2 pm, against 143592 electors for both Sarpanch and Panch vacant constituencies.

In the vacant Panch constituencies in Jammu Division, Ramban district recorded the highest voter turnout of 77.77 per cent followed by Doda with 77.73 percent while in Kashmir, Shopian witnessed 86.74 per cent followed by Budgam with 72.79 per cent polling.

Similarly, in the Sarpanch vacant constituencies Ganderbal witnessed 71.04 per cent voter turnout while Jammu district recorded the highest turnout of 77.24 per cent.

Sharma said that the DDC and Panchayat elections will play a decisive and catalytic role towards development of the people at grass root level. He appreciated every stakeholder for their tireless efforts towards successful conduct of polling process.

In the first phase of the Panchayat by-elections, 1131 candidates were in fray including 852 in Panch constituencies for 368 vacancies and 279 for 94 vacancies for Sarpanch Constituencies.