Precious Kashmir

Soldier found dead in Poonch

Jammu & Kashmir

22/08/2020

Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, Aug 21: A soldier posted on the forward post of Line of Control in Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch sector was found dead under mysterious conditions today, officials said.
They said that preliminary investigations reveal that the solider has committed suicide but things will be clear only when postmortem will be done.
Officials said a solider posted with the army’s RR who was deployed at a forward post along the Loc in Krishna Ghati sector in J&K’s Poonch district, was found dead.
“The soldier was found dead mysteriously today morning. Investigations have been started to found the cause of death. Initial probe reveals that he has committed suicide but things will be clear once postmortem will be done,” the officials said. They said that a police team has rushed to the spot and a case has been registered—(KNO)

BSF trooper ends life in Kupwara

Jammu & Kashmir

Precious Kashmir

22/08/2020

Precious Kashmir News

Kupwara, Aug 21: A BSF man allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle in Frontier district of north Kashmir.

An official said Head Constable Kundan Ram Kumar of 169 battalion of BSF, posted at Brinwari in Kupwara district, shot himself with his service weapon on Friday.

The Constable died on the spot.

Police has taken cognizance of the incident and registered a case.(KINS)

KU’s Online National Art Fest concludes

Jammu & Kashmir

Precious Kashmir

22/08/2020

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Aug 21: The month- long Online National Fine Arts Festival, ‘WAHRAAT-2020’ organized by the Youth Affairs Wing, Department of Students Welfare, University of Kashmir (KU) concluded.
The competition was kept open for the students enrolled in Colleges and Universities across India.
Participants were asked to paint or draw on their own choice of topic. Art works like Drawings, Paintings, Cartoons, Comic Art, Folk Art, and Sketches were accepted online.
While appreciating the Department of Students Welfare for successfully conducting the month long competition Vice Chancellor KU Prof. Talat Ahmad said, “Mental Health is of utmost importance especially during this pandemic and such competitions prove to be a powerful tool to deal with the current stress of isolation and uncertainty particularly within the student population.”
Prof Talat added that the idea of making this competition open and without any theme is really worth appreciation “as anyone can come up with their artwork with no constraints.”
He said “ Keeping one self occupied, spirited and competitive through such contests while sitting at home is a real therapy to maintain our mental health”.
Prof. Raies A Qadri, the Dean, Students Welfare KU in his remarks said,”Painting or drawing in the perspective of an art therapy activities supports student’s resilience and empowerment through creating a safe ambiance for decision making and problem solving to help handling, navigate anxiety, and stabilize stress” .

COVID-19: EC issues guidelines to conduct polls, allows public meetings and road shows

National

Precious Kashmir

22/08/2020

New Delhi, Aug 21: The Commission has limited the number of persons, including the candidate, for door-to-door campaign to five.Public meetings, road shows and physical campaign in the form of door-to-door campaigns will be permitted in elections during COVID-19 subject to restrictions aimed at curbing the outbreak, as per the guidelines issued by the Election Commission on Friday.The guidelines, which will be put to test in the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar, allows public meetings and road shows with suitable instructions subject to containment regulations issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the state government. This is significant since a number of political parties had conveyed to the poll body their reservation regarding virtual outreach being the mainstay of the election campaign and had stressed on the need for traditional means of electioneering to be permitted.

Women facing domestic violence await setting up of special cell

Anchor stories

Afaq Bhat

21/08/2020

Women facing domestic violence await setting up of special cell

Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Aug 20: Winding up of State Commission for Women and Child Rights (SCWCR) in Jammu and Kashmir has left the women, who are victims of domestic violence and cruelty against them, with nowhere to go.
The SCWCR was winded up after J&K’s reorganization in 2019 and it was ordered that the cases which were being heard by the commission in J&K will be heard by the National Commission for Women in New Delhi. The cases which were being heard at SCWCR have been lingering on since then and the new cases are not even being registered.
An analyst while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “The government should set up a new commission on the lines of SCWCR in J&K so that cases of violence against women are heard on the fast track basis. We cannot expect a woman to travel all the way to New Delhi to register a complaint against their husband or in laws.”
He said, “After winding up of the commission, victims have been left with no other option other than to approach the courts and fight long legal battles.”
A woman, social worker, said, “The cases of domestic violence are on rise in Kashmir and victims are left with no other option other than to approach the police. Many cases go unreported as many women don’t approach the police. The SCWCR was headed by a woman and it mostly consisted of a female staff. The victims used to feel more comfortable to share their problems. Accessibility was a big factor. The SCWCR staffers were just a phone call away.”
She said that few NGOs in Kashmir are trying their best to help the victims of domestic violence but are unable to do much in absence of power and authority. “The SCWCR had the authority to get anyone summoned and law enforcing agencies used to act when any request was forwarded by the commission,” the social worker added.
An observer said that the National Commission for Women is already overburdened and one cannot expect the body to set up a separate wing for J&K. “The need of the hour is to put a mechanism in place where the cases from J&K could be heard. It should be set up within the UT so that victims can approach the commission without any hassles,” he added.
“Crime against women is a burning issue and it cannot be ignored. We cannot just depend upon courts. A special cell is needed to address the concerns of women, who in one or other way get victimized,” the observer said.

Covid-19 Mortality

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Precious Kashmir

21/08/2020

Covid-19 cases are unrelenting in Jammu and Kashmir. One after another grim milestones are passed, almost routinely now. The case tally has already crossed 30000-mark. In fact at the end of the August 20, the total officially declared count stands at 30717. The cases almost doubled in few weeks. Fortunately though, 23225 of the patients have recovered—5233 from Jammu division and 17992 from the Valley.

The fatalities due to the microbe are more troublesome. Already, almost 600 people have succumbed to it. More than 100 people lost the battle to the virus in last week or so alone. From 379 by the end of the last month, the death toll reached 500 in the first 12 days of this month and almost another 100 were added to it in little over a week. The increase in number of the deaths is disturbing for the fact that there has been extended lockdown in most parts of the Valley and Jammu division. The lockdown in the ordinary sense should have helped contain the virus spread but unfortunately, the numbers are growing.

As regards increased mortalities, there is perhaps need to have important changes in treatment and home isolation protocols. The experts have called for it besides the need to improve Infection Prevention Control Mechanism. Also there is a daring need to starting regular and routine health services to prevent a surge in morbidity and mortality due to non COVID cases. These measures brook no delay.

The government recently called a meeting of experts to find reasons for the “alarming” deaths even as J&K, on paper, has 21664 isolation beds, 432 ICU beds, 454 ventilators and 5296 oxygen supported beds. There are 342 ventilators that are in transit and 1630 oxygen outlets are to be installed in next two months, officials say.

The government also plans to establishment more oxygen generation plants in all districts and associated hospitals. Rs 150 crore have already been allocated by the administration for the purpose, as per the official statement. There has been already much delay. All the processes which help in saving lives need to be expedited.

The experts have also suggested the need for home isolation facility and providing pulse oximeters as a measure which would help in controlling the mortalities in the valley. It needed to be implemented along with other recommendations such as declaring micro-level containment.

COVID-19: 8 more die in Kashmir, J&K toll 590

Front

Precious Kashmir

21/08/2020

COVID-19: 8 more die in Kashmir, J&K toll 590

Nadeem Nadu
Srinagar, Aug 20: A paramilitary CRPF man was among nine more persons who lost battle to COVID-19 in Kashmir since overnight, official sources said on Thursday.
With these deaths—three from Srinagar, two from Baramulla and one each from Budgam, Kupwara, Anantnag and Pulwama districts—the fatality count due to the virus in Jammu and Kashmir has mounted to 590.
A 70-year-old man from Sopore Baramulla who was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and bilateral Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) died due to cardiac arrest at 12:50 am at SKIMS Soura where he was admitted since August 9, the official sources said.
They said an 87-year-old from Tral Pulwama, admit on August 11 as a case of bilateral CAP died at SMHS hospital, they said.
Another COVID-19 positive patient— a woman from Khanda Budgam, admitted to the hospital on August 17 and diagnosed with bilateral CAP, also succumbed today.
Also, a 50-year-old covid-19 positive trooper from 61 battalion CRPF, Shivpora Srinagar, died few hours after being brought to the hospital in wee hours today, they said. He was resident of Haryana, they added.

An elderly woman from Yunsu Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district having being diagnosed with bilateral community acquired pneumonia died two days after being admitted to the hospital, they said.
A resident of Jawahar Nagar Srinagar, suffering from bilateral CAP, also died at SMHS hospital, the sources said.
A 56-year-old woman from Lal Bazar Srinagar, died three days after she was admitted to CD hospital, one of the exclusive facilities for the management of the covid-19 in the Valley.

“She was a case of severe Covid19 with HTN, T2DM and hypothyroid. She was not maintaining saturation and was shifted to ICU on August 18 and was on NIV since,” a doctor at the hospital told GNS. She suffered cardiac arrest and was declared dead at 2:45p.m, the doctor added.
A 62-year-old man from Gantmulla Baramulla who was diagnosed with “T2DM HTN, CAD besides Pneumonia” died at 8p.m on Thursday evening at SMHS hospital, the sources said.
A 70-year-old woman of Dialgam Anantnag died at SKIMS Soura, three days she was admitted to the tertiary care hospital, they added.

With these deaths, officials said, 590 people have succumbed to the virus in Jammu and Kashmir so far—549 from the Valley and 41 from Jammu division. (GNS)

COVID-19: JK reports 683 fresh cases, tally at 30717

Front

Precious Kashmir

21/08/2020

Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, Aug 20: As many as 683 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday thus taking the tally of infected persons in the Union Territory to 30717, officials said.
They said that of the fresh cases 569 were reported in Kashmir and 114 in Jammu. Moreover, 728 more COVID-19 patients have recovered and discharged from various hospitals, 117 from Jammu and 611 from Kashmir.
According to the daily Media Bulletin on novel Corona virus (Covid-19), out of 30717 positive cases, 6914 are Active Positive, 23225 have recovered and 578 have died; 41 in Jammu division and 537 in Kashmir division.

The Bulletin further said that out of 833403 test results available, 802686 samples have been tested as negative till August 20, 2020.
Additionally, till date 423481 travelers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been enlisted for observation which included 41798 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 6914 in isolation and 44503 under home surveillance. Besides, 329688 persons have completed their surveillance period.
Providing district-wise breakup, the Bulletin said that Srinagar has 7412 positive cases (including 165 cases reported today) with 1264 Active Positive, 5963 recovered (including 304 cases recovered today), 185 deaths; Baramulla has 2535 positive cases (including 22 cases reported today) with 558 Active Positive, 1887 recovered (including 95 cases reported today), 90 deaths; Pulwama reported 2205 positive cases (including 59 cases reported today) with 398 active positive cases, 1766 recovered (including 43 cases recovered today), 41 deaths; Kulgam has 1753 positive cases (including 06 cases reported today) with 211 Active Positive, 1511 recoveries (including 11 cases recovered today), 31 deaths; Shopian has 1617 positive cases (including 28 cases reported today) with 133 Active Positive, 1458 recovered, 26 deaths; Anantnag district has 1946 positive cases (including 41 cases reported today) with 408 Active Positive, 1495 recovered (including 18 cases recovered today), 43 deaths; Budgam has 1974 positive cases (including 52 cases reported today) with 528 Active Positive and 1400 recovered (including 51 cases recovered today), 46 deaths; Kupwara has 1724 positive cases (including 42 cases reported today) with 504 Active Positive, 1181 recovered (including 35 cases recovered today), 39 deaths; Bandipora has 1696 positive cases (including 113 cases reported today) with 892 Active Positive, 782 recovered (including 15 cases reported today), 22 deaths and Ganderbal has 1093 positive cases (including 41 cases reported today) with 530 active positive cases, 549 recoveries (including 39 cases reported today) and 14 deaths.

Similarly, Jammu has 2133 positive cases (including 59 cases reported today) with 667 active positive cases, 1437 recoveries (including 78 cases recovered today), 29 deaths; Rajouri has 801 positive cases (including 07 cases reported today) with 90 active positive cases, 708 recovered (including 05 cases recovered today), 03 deaths; Ramban has 632 positive cases (including 01 case reported today) with 30 active positive, 601 recoveries, 01 death; Kathua has 695 positive cases (including 14 cases reported today) with 114 Active positive, 580 recovered (including 07 cases recovered today), 01 death; Udhampur has 680 positive cases (including 16 cases reported today) with 75 active positive cases, 603 recovered (including 01 cases recovered today), 02 deaths; Samba has 608 positive cases (including 09 cases reported today) with 183 Active Positive, 424 recoveries, 01 death; Doda has 352 positive cases (including 02 cases reported today) with 48 active positive cases, 302 recoveries (including 02 cases recovered today), 02 deaths; Poonch has 335 positive cases (including 02 cases reported today) with 71 active positive, 262 recoveries (including 07 cases recovered today), 02 deaths; Reasi has 340 positive cases (including 04 cases reported today) with 192 active positive, 148 recoveries (including 17 cases recovered today) and Kishtwar has 186 positive cases with 18 active positive cases and 168 recoveries .

According to the bulletin, of the total 30717 positive cases in J&K 5715 have been reported as travelers while 25002 as others.

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

The bulletin has informed the people that, the best way to protect themselves from COVID-19 is by maintaining physical distance of at least 2 meter from others, frequently cleaning hands with an alcohol based hand sanitizer or washing them with soap and water and following good respiratory etiquette and hygiene.

As a measure for social distancing in public places and workplaces wearing a face cover is compulsory.

The bulletin again explained that early detection of COVID-19 can prevent the spread of disease so we need to be responsible for the well-being of ourselves and everyone around us. “Not disclosing symptoms could put life of individuals and their families at risk. In case of symptoms like fever, cough and difficulty in breathing report early. Do not fear, call COVID-19 helpline numbers and seek medical advice”.

Advisory has further exhorted upon the people not to step out of home, unless absolutely necessary. “If you have to move out for unavoidable reasons, ensure that you wear a mask and practice social distancing, personal hygiene and frequent hand washing with soap and water.”
In case of any emergency people can avail free ambulance services 24×7 at their doorsteps by calling on toll-free number 108 while as pregnant women and sick infants can avail free ambulance services by dialing toll-free number 102.
People can also call on toll-free national helpline number 1075; J&K COVID-19 Helpline Numbers 0191- 2549676 (UT level Cell), 0191-2520982, 0191-2674444, 0191-2674115 (For Jammu Division), 0194-2440283 & 0194-2430581 (For Kashmir Division) for support, guidance, and response to health-related queries on Novel Corona virus Disease (COVID-19).
The bulletin has informed that the Directorate of Indian Systems of Medicine, J&K is distributing AYUSH Medicines having immunity boosting, immuno-modulator, anti-oxidant, rejuvenator, anti-stress, metabolism regulator, anti-allergic, anti-pyretic, anti-tussive, bronchodilator, etc properties during the COVID-19 pandemic. The department so far has provided medicine to 8.10 lakh people that include various frontline workers, senior citizens, PRIs, police/paramilitary personals and general masses. Moreover, preventive measures and Yoga therapies are also being advised to the people to take care of lifestyle/mental disorders so that physical and mental health is ensued during this pandemic.
Public is advised to strictly follow the advisories issued by the government from time to time and rely only on the information released by the government through the daily media bulletin to print and electronic media.
People are also advised to refrain from spreading rumours and pay no heed to them at the same time.

India records nearly 70000 fresh cases, 900 deaths

Front

United News Of India

21/08/2020

India records nearly 70000 fresh cases, 900 deaths

Tally at 2836925; fatalities mount to 53,866

New Delhi, Aug 20: India recorded a total of 69,652 fresh COVID-19 cases and 977 more deaths in past 24 hours, taking the case tally to 28,36,925 on Thursday.

Pandemic fatalities toll in the country has now mounted to 53,866, as per the Union Health Ministry update.
On the brighter note, the recovery rate improved to 73.91 per cent, after 58,794 more patients defeated the virus in the past 24 hours.
The total number of COVID recoveries now stand close to 21 lakh , with the figure presently at 20,96,664.

As per the health update, the active case load on the country has increased by 9881 since Wednesday and presently the nation houses 6,86,395 such cases.

The recovered cases have now exceeded the active cases by 14,10,269.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), as many as 9,18,470 samples were tested on Wednesday, and so far since the beginning , 3,26,61,252 COVID tests have been conducted pan India.

COVID-19 pandemic leaves children at increased risk of violence: Study

Front

Precious Kashmir

21/08/2020

New Delhi, Aug 20: Violence prevention and response services have been severely disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving children at increased risk of violence, exploitation and abuse, according to a global survey by UNICEF.
Of 136 countries that responded to UNICEF’s Socio-Economic Impact Survey of Covid-19 Response, 104 countries reported a disruption in services related to violence against children.
South Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia have the highest proportion among countries reporting disruptions in availability of child protection services. Around two-thirds of countries reported that at least one service had been severely affected, including South Africa, Malaysia, Nigeria and Pakistan.
“We are just beginning to fully understand the damage done to children because of their increased exposure to violence during pandemic lockdowns,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.
“Ongoing school closures and movement restrictions have left some children stuck at home with increasingly stressed abusers. The subsequent impact on protection services and social workers means children have nowhere to turn for help.”
More than half of the countries reported disruptions in case management, referral services and home visits by child welfare and social workers, leaving many children and women at risk of abuse.
Violence prevention programmes, children’s access to child welfare authorities, and national helpline services have also been impacted in many countries, according to the responses.
Even before the pandemic, children’s exposure to violence was widespread, with about half of the world’s children experiencing corporal punishment at home; roughly 3 in 4 children — aged 2 to 4 years — were regularly subjected to forms of violent discipline; and 1 in 3 adolescent girls — aged 15 to 19 — having been victimised by their intimate partner at some point in their lives.
UNICEF India is working with CHILDLINE, which has been declared an emergency service by the Government of India to handle some of the immediate and long-term consequences of Covid-19 related to protection of children.
CHILDLINE has received 4.6 lakh calls in 21 days from March 20 to April 10. Nearly 10,000 of these were intervention cases which required CHILDLINE staff to reach the children in need of support. Of these 30 per cent were related to Covid-19 and with a need for protection from abuse and exploitation.
The Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India in collaboration with UNICEF organised a nation-wide online training for 16,000 child protection functionaries and counsellors including CHILDLINE functionaries after the Covid-19 lockdown.
UNICEF in partnership with state government departments and CHILDLINE have reached 2,18,835 children and their parents or caregivers with mental health and psychosocial support services in 17 states. UNICEF has also provided Personal Protection Equipment to 11,000 CHILDLINE frontline workers to enable them to take the necessary precautions even as they work on the ground with communities at risk during the ongoing health crisis.
UNICEF Representative in India, Dr Yasmin Ali Haque said, “UNICEF is committed to supporting the Government of India and partners in strengthening frontline services and personnel as it is an integral part of the overall child protection system and critical for the prevention and response to violence against children during Covid-19 and beyond.” (Agencies)

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