Precious Kashmir

4 Desperate UP Students Brave Heat, Lockdown To Walk Over 500 km Home

National

23/04/2020

Lucknow and the temperatures are already in the mid-30s. The heat is stifling. A group of college students, each carrying a backpack containing academic papers, some clothes, biscuits and water, trudge up to a security guard posted at the main gates of the city’s Ambedkar Park.

“How much further to the Sultanpur-Banaras highway,” Rohit Pandey, 21, asks the guard. “About 10 kilometres,” he answers.

Mr Pandey and his three friends, all of whom are students at Bareilly’s Rohilkhand University, sigh… a sigh born of resignation to hours more walking in this brutal sunshine.

Srinagar Police evacuates patient to hospital

City

Precious Kashmir

23/04/2020

Precious Kashmir News

April 22: Police in Srinagar saved a precious life by shifting a patient to Khyber hospital Srinagar.Srinagar police today received information that one individual residing in the nearby area of Saidkadal area of Srinagar has to undergo dialysis at Khyber Hospital and needs immediate medical attention.Subsequently, a police party of Police Station MR Gunj headed by SHO PS MR Gunj rushed to the spot and evacuated the patient to Hospital for medical treatment.Locals have applauded the efforts of Police for prompt response and assistance in a crucial juncture.

CS visits Udhampur, reviews measures being taken to contain spread of Pandemic

Jammu & Kashmir

Precious Kashmir

23/04/2020

CS visits Udhampur, reviews measures being taken to contain spread of Pandemic

Precious Kashmir News

UDHAMPUR, APRIL-22: Chief Secretary, BVR Subrahmanyam, today visited Udhampur and convened a meeting to review the measures being taken up towards containment of COVID -19 pandemic in the district.
Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, Dr. Piyush Singla gave a detailed presentation on the total number of cases tested COVID-19 positive, contacts traced, tested and quarantined, sampling done, declaration of red zones, relief measures for labourers, migrants, destitute, action taken against violators of COVID-19 restrictions, universal usage of masks, resumption of MGNREGA works in the district. He informed that there are a total of 20 positive cases in the district, of which, only 11 are active cases with 1 death and 8 recovered cases. He added that the district administration is taking up relief measures for Labourers, Migrants and destitutes and about 5279 such families have been identified both in rural and urban areas and ration has been distributed among them.
The Chief Secretary appreciated the efforts of the district administration towards containing the spread of COVID-19. He advised to complete the testing of symptomatic patients and asked to quarantine all the persons who have come from outside the state. He stressed that rapid testing should be done after SOPs are issued and COVID care centres should be made functional immediately. He asked the DC to speed up the process of contact tracing and ensure each and every person in the chain should be traced.

Covid-19:Two Kashmiri blind girls stuck in New Delhi seek help

Jammu & Kashmir

Precious Kashmir

23/04/2020

Precious Kashmir News

Srinagar, Apr 22, At a time when Covid-19 threat has forced scores of people from Kashmir to take refuge in different parts of India and abroad, two blind girls from North Kashmir stuck in New Delhi are pinning hopes on Jammu Kashmir Government for evacuation. Being blind, both these girls are finding it really very hard to survive in an environment incompatible for them. Twenty-four years old Khalida Yousuf and 25 year old Zahida Lone are stuck at two different places in New Delhi. Khailda hails from Door Sopore while Zahida is the resident of Anwar Abad Kupwara area of North Kashmir. “I study at NIETTVD Dehradun that is a school for blind. I am doing a course there. I was supposed to take a flight on 24 March but due to suspension of air and surface traffic, I got stuck and thankfully, a friend of mine at Pratab Bagh Sangam Park in New Delhi provided me shelter. I am completely dependent on them. My family members are helpless to take me back to home,” Khalida told KNT over phone. She said from past four weeks she is in New Delhi and desperately wants to go home. “I am blind and you can understand my problem,” she said and asked this Reporter to make a vehement appeal to Kashmir administration to take her back to home. Another blind girl Zahida also narrated her ordeal and is keen to reach home but is stuck at National Association for the Blind Hostel in RK Puram New Delhi. “We are two Kashmiri students stuck here and want to go home. KNT:

Pesky power cuts irk Ganderbal residents

Jammu & Kashmir

Precious Kashmir

23/04/2020

Srinagar, Apr 22 : Power Development Department (PDD) is restoring to unscheduled power cuts in different areas of Ganderbal districts, locals alleged on Wednesday.
Unscheduled power cuts besides winter power schedule in the area has evoked strong resentment from the locals, making the people suffer. “The unscheduled power cuts have left us distressed,” Irshad Ahmad, a resident of Wussan said, adding that we are still receiving power supply as winter schedule.
The locals complained that power cuts in Wussan, Preng, Chinar, Chahtergul and its adjacent areas that are receiving supply from is at least 04 to 06 hours per day.(PTK)

Prayers This Ramazan

Edit

Precious Kashmir

23/04/2020

In run up to the holy month of Ramazan, some top government functionaries interacted with religious leaders, Imams and Khateebs of prominent mosques to seek their support and cooperation in fighting COVID-19 pandemic in the Valley.
Basically, the main thrust of the meeting was to seek their support in asking the people to pray at home during the holy month. This would ensure social distancing, one of the fundamentals to contain the scourge.
Subsequently, many religious leaders issued statements including video messages to urge people to pray at home. Even earlier, many religious scholars came forward on their own to spread the message as regards need to offer prayers at home in a bid to protect themselves as well as the others.
Across the Muslim world, the fasting month of Ramazan begins in just day or two, depending upon the sighting of the crescent. Unlike any other in memory, the pandemic has already cast its shadow and has to a large degree altered every aspect of the life.
Not only those from Kashmir, top Islamic scholars across the globe including Saudi Arabia’s grand Mufti has said prayers during Ramazan and the Eid al-Fitr festivities that follow the end of the fasting month should be held at home.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has also asked Iranians not to visit holy shrines during Ramazan or participate in iftar gatherings.
In this month, believers offer additional prayers Taraweeh, mostly in a congregation at the mosque. At most mosques, the entire Quran is recited over the course of the month to make it a source of contemplation. Given the current context, Muslims across the world are worried about how they will perform the additional prayers.
The religious scholars have urged people to offer prayers at home, underlining the contemporary times are unprecedented in many ways and requires an extraordinary response from each one of us. The pandemic has spared almost no country in the world and its outbreak led to fear and anxiety.
The containment of the deadly disease is not only the responsibility of the authorities or medical establishments but it is also the duty of each one of us to do whatever we can to help decelerate the spread of the pestilence.

COVID-19: China selling whatever it wants, economies of other countries crumbling

Anchor stories
Front

Afaq Bhat

23/04/2020

COVID-19: China selling whatever it wants, economies of other countries crumbling

Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Apr 22: The Rapid Testing Kits acquired by India from China proving to be faulty could prove to be a big blow to the COVID-19 testing exercise being carried out in different parts of the country.
An analyst while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “All the experts and medicos have made it clear that carrying out rapid testing is the only way out to stop the COVID-19 from spreading. These faulty test kits supplied by a Chinese firm could prove to be a big stumbling block.”
Recently, leading scientist had stated that 80% COVID-19 positive patients are asymptomatic and this is a cause for big worry. He had suggested that testing needs to be carried out a rapid pace to check whether there has been a community spread or not.
In absence of any vaccine or a specific medicine testing kits seem to be the only solution. But these turning out to be substandard could lead to more chaos and confusion in the country. The States that have tried these kits have said that the results being shown by these kits are not reliable.
An observer said, “Entire world has been caught in a difficult situation. Chinese are even doing business at this point of time by selling the testing kits and that too of the substandard quality. Other countries have crumbled and are facing severe economic losses. They are running out of ideas about how to save their population. China succeeded in containing COVID-19 within Wuhan but other countries, including the United States, failed to stop it from spreading.”
It’s in place to mention here that the US during past few days issued back to back statements blaming China for putting the whole world into trouble. The US Congress asked the World Health Organization (WHO) to explain its relationship with China after President Trump stopped funding to the WHO.
“China has been in the limelight since the outbreak of COVID-19. Many people are saying that China has won the world-war-III even without firing a single bullet or a bomb. The consensus seems to be emerging on the fact that China only can help the other countries to end this epidemic. But it seems China is in no mood to help anyone. Chinese are calling the shots while other countries are just watching. China is selling whatever it wants and other nations are buying it with a hope that something or other will help,” the observer added.
He said, “It appears that world has been caught in midst of the storm and the silver lining is yet to appear in the sky.”

COVID- 19: Kashmir crosses 350 mark, 27 more test positive, J&K tally at 407

Front

Nadeem Nadu

23/04/2020

COVID- 19: Kashmir crosses 350 mark, 27 more test positive, J&K tally at 407

6 of Bandipora family, 14 from Shopian village among new cases
Pulwama infection free as 11 more recover In Valley

Nadeem Nadu / Umer Rashid

Srinagar, April 22: Kashmir on Wednesday witnessed a spike in COVID-19 cases as 27 people tested positive for the deadly virus.

The second-highest one-day jump in the number of cases pushed the positive cases across Jammu and Kashmir past 400, while as 11 more patients were discharged from hospitals.

“27 new cases reported today. All from Kashmir Division. Total now 407. Jammu—56 and Kashmir—351,” Principal Secretary Information and Government Spokesman Rohit Kansal tweeted.

Sources told GNS that among the fresh cases, 25 were found positive at Viral Diagnostic Lab of SKIMS and two others at Chest Disease Hospital Dalgate.

Among them fourteen are from Heerpora village of south Kashmir’s Shopian district, taking the number of infected patients in the small village comprising around 1000 households to 34.

Of them, sources said, include three siblings—9-year-old boy, 12-year-old and 15-year-old sisters—besides their mother (in 30s) and 55-year-old grandmother. Also, there are 14-year-old and 18-year-old sisters among the fresh cases while seven others include four females— aged 25, 35, 40, 45— and three men, 24-year-old and 25-year-old youth while other is 40-year-old, sources said, adding, all the cases are contacts of the earlier COVID-19 patients.

Six other cases are from Bandipora, one of the worst affected districts in the entire J&K, and all of them are from a single family.
Residents of Gund Kaiser village said that they include 45-year-old man, his 40-year-old wife and their four children—14-year-old son and three daughters—16-year-old, 6-year-old and 4-year-old.

“They were already in quarantine and their samples were sent to SKIMS,” Dr Tajamul Hussain, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Bandipora informed.

Four others are from Muqam-e-Shahwali Kupwara including two females—50-year-old and 35-year-old—and two men, one aged 21 and other 17. Sources said that they are all contacts of previous patients.

The three other cases include two from Baramulla district—40-year-old of Panzinara and 20-year-old from Sopore while other is a 20-year-old woman, originally a resident of Khanpora Larnoo but is presently staying at Nowgam Shangus in Anantnag district.

Regarding 20-year-old Sopore youth, Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Dr G N Itoo said that he was already under quarantine. With regard to 40-year-old, sources said that he had visited CD hospital on his own and has been admitted there now.

With these cases, Bandipora now has 97 COVID-19 patients, highest in all districts, followed by Srinagar (79), Baramulla (47), Shopian (46), Kupwara (37), Jammu (26), Udhampur (20), Ganderbal (14), Budgam (13), Anantnag (9), Kulgam (6), Rajouri (4), Samba (4), Pulwama (3) and Kishtwar (1).

Officials also informed that 11 more patients have recovered and were discharged—six from District hospital Pulwama, 3 from SKIMS Soura and two from CD hospital. Pulwama now has now case and has become the first district to be COVID-19 free after initial cases.

While overall tally has gone upto 407, there are 310 active cases—38 in Jammu and 272 in Kashmir. Five persons have died of the disease so far while others have recovered.

Meanwhile, the government informed 64089 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance which includes 5806 persons in-home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 310 in Hospital Isolation, 252 in hospital Quarantine and 15376 under home surveillance. Besides, 42340 persons have completed their surveillance period. (GNS)

Cases cross 20000 mark in India, 652 deaths, 3959 recovered so far

Front

Precious Kashmir

23/04/2020

Cases cross 20000 mark in India, 652 deaths, 3959 recovered so far

United News of India
New Delhi, Apr 22: The Novel Coronavirus cases in the country crossed the 20000 mark on Wednesday evening, with number of cases climbing to 20471, as per the government data.

Death toll mounted to 652 by evening on Wednesday, with an addition of 12 fresh deaths reported since morning, the Health ministry said.

Across the nation, the maximum cases and casualties have been reported in the state of Maharashtra with 5221 cases and 251 deaths reported so far.

With an improvement, the number of cured and discharged cases of COVID-19 have increased to 3959 pan India, the Health ministry data said.

Active COVID cases in the country at present stand at 15859, while government had said that the doubling rate of COVID has slowed in the country, referring to the data collected on April 19.

There has been a rapid rise in Gujarat, wherein the cases have jumped to 2272 in past two-three days, with the state standing at number two in terms of maximum cases and also deaths that were now 95, after the worst-hit state of Maharashtra.

Delhi is now housing 2156 cases with 47 deaths reported so far, while in Madhya Pradesh, the numbers have spiked to 1592 with 80 deaths so far.

After Gujarat, MP has seen a spiral increase in number of positive cases, since the past two days.

Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan now house 1596 and 1801 cases respectively, while in Uttar Pradesh, the number has gone up to 1412.

Pregnant women to be tested in Red Zones in Kashmir: Advisor Baseer Khan

Front

Precious Kashmir

23/04/2020

Pregnant women to be tested in Red Zones in Kashmir: Advisor Baseer Khan

Precious Kashmir News

Srinagar, Apr 22: The ASHA workers have been asked to prepare list of pregnant women and test them for COVID-19 before referring to maternity hospital in Kashmir valley.

This was directed by Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Baseer Ahmad Khan during a meeting held with Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang K Pole, Deputy Commissioners of J&K, Director SKIMS Prof AG Ahangar and Principal GMC Srinagar Dr Samia Rashid here through video conferencing on Wednesday.

The Advisor said that ASHA workers should prepare a list of pregnant ladies in their areas and check if they have any symptom of COVID-19 infection before referring them to the Valley’s premier maternity hospital.

He added that if the lady is found with any kind of symptoms for the infection, the ASHA worker should immediately report it to concerned so that the pregnant lady, instead of Led Ded hospital, could be referred to JLNM hospital or Government Medical College.

The Advisor said that sending pregnant ladies to Led Ded hospital without following due precaution may lead to a bigger problem.

During the meeting, Divisional Commissioner (Div Com) Kashmir informed that door-to-door health check clinics have been established to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the red zone areas of Gund Jahangir and Hajin in Bandipora district.

He informed the meeting that contact tracing of all 324 COVID-19 positive cases has been done for which 60 teams were constituted.

The Div Com said that an institutional arrangement of three-tier-system has been put in place to deal with COVID-19 patients. He said the first tier is called as wellness centre and this will be for healthy patients who do not show symptoms for the infections. For such centres, the Div Com informed 6400 bed capacity centres are established in every district.

He said in tier-two which is called as COVID-health centre patient who needs more care would be admitted. For them 1500 beds in centres have established in each district, while the last tier is hospital isolation wards where intensive care is required for the patients.

He said soon the sample testing capacity would be raised to more than a 1000 per day.

During the meeting, the Advisor also took stock of various arrangements being made for upcoming holy month of Ramazan.

The Advisor directed all the officials present in the meeting to make sure that no gatherings at mosques are allowed during Ramazan. He said all efforts be made to make people understand to follow the advisories so that they would refrain from gathering in the mosques.

The Div Com Kashmir was asked to ensure the availability of essentials, especially during the month, besides, he was also directed that there should be uninterrupted power supply especially during Sehri and Iftar times so that people do not face any difficulty during the holy month.

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