Kashmir.Watch

Author: hamid

  • Punishment : JKP make curfew violators do Sit-Ups

    This is no workout. They are doing sit-ups as punishment for violating prohibitory orders in Srinagar.

    #Covid19 #StayHome #StaySafe

    Watch Video:

    © #BasitZargar

  • SpiceJet’s special flight from Delhi to take 142 Iran-returned Indians to quarantine facility in Jodhpur

    SpiceJet’s special flight from Delhi to taThe aircraft used, will be thoroughly cleaned and fumigated upon its return to Delhi, and the airline said it will follow all the protocols for its crew members

    The Hindu

    SpiceJet on Thursday said it will operate a special flight from Delhi to Jodhpur on Friday to ferry 142 Indians evacuated from Iran to a government quarantine facility there.

    The airline, in a press statement said, it will deploy its Boeing 737 aircraft for the service, which is being operated on the request of the government. The passengers will be reaching New Delhi on a Mahan Air flight.

    The SpiceJet flight will take off from New Delhi at 1.40 a.m. and land in Jodhpur at 2.55 a.m. on Friday.

    The Indian Army has set up one of its quarantine facilities in Jodhpur for Indians returning from abroad.

    “The aircraft will be thoroughly cleaned and fumigated upon its return to Delhi and SpiceJet will follow all the protocols for its crew members,” the airline said.

    This is the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19 that the government has pressed a private carrier into service for medical evacuation. All previous flights have been carried out by the national carrier, Air India. Several airlines, including IndiGo and GoAir, have offered the government their services to evacuate passengers as well as for transporting medical supplies and equipment.

    (This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

  • Don’t worry over safety of Kashmir staying outside: Div Com

    KINS Desk

    Srinagar, March 26 (KINS): Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang Kondbarao Pole has appealed people not to worry over the safety of Kashmiris who are stranded abroad or in any state across the country.

    He also said strict action would be taken against those who are hiding travel history.

    “People should not worry over safety of Kashmiris. Authorities in New Delhi are dealing with issues like those who are stranded abroad. I will also seek information about Kashmiris who are stranded abroad or in any state across the country,” Pandurang told Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

    He said authorities will take action against those who are hiding their travel history.

    Authorities have identified around 500 people who have travel history, are hiding in Kashmir to escape screening and quarantine.

    “Some 1,800 persons returning from abroad have been quarantined in 90 facilities set up so far; over 150 persons hiding travel histories traced and were put under quarantine in the past one week,” DC Srinagar Shahid Chowdhary has Choudhary.(KINS)

  • More men are dying than women due to the Coronavirus: DAK

    Srinagar Mar 26: Following the death of an elderly male in Kashmir valley due to the novel (new) coronavirus, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Thursday said the novel virus is killing more men than women.
    “More men are dying than women due to the virus,” said DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan.
    “This is what evidence shows in countries with heavy death tolls,” he said.
    “According to a report by Higher Health Institute of Rome, based on analysis of 25,0258 cases in Italy, men accounted for nearly 60 percent of the cases and more than 70 percent of deaths,” Dr Nisar said.
    “In Spain, the number of men who died from the virus was nearly double that of the number of women, according to another report from the Carlos III Health institute,” he added.
    Dr Nisar said these figures are in line with early accounts from China, where the death rate for men was 2.8 percent compared to 1.7 percent for women, according to the largest analysis of cases by the China’s Centre for Disease control and Prevention.
    He said the gender disparity in illness and death could be biological or behavioral.
    “Women have more robust immune system than men and are able to fend off infection. The female sex hormone appears to play a role in immunity, as does X chromosome, which contains immune-related genes. Women carry 2 X chromosomes, men only one.
    Men smoke at higher rates than women that damages the lung defense and increases the risk of severe infection.
    Males are more prone to develop heart disease, hypertension and diabetes than females, leaving them at a higher risk of developing severe complications from the virus,” Dr Nisar said.
    “Being male is as much a risk factor for coronavirus as being old. People need to be aware that there is this pattern,” he said.
    “Kashmir valley reported its first coronavirus death today. He was 65 years old male, a smoker with underlying diabetes and hypertension. Of the eight laboratory confirmed cases of the virus in the valley so far, 7 are males and one is a female,” said Dr Nisar.

  • Coronavirus: Two siblings tested positive in Srinagar, toll 11 in JK

    Minor siblings are grandchildren of Srinagar lady who was tested positive earlier

    Srinagar, Mar 26 (KNO): Two minors were tested positive in Srinagar for deadly Coronavirus, taking the total toll to 11 with one death in the Valley, officials said on Thursday.

    According to wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Jammu and Kashmir government spokesman, Rohit Kansal informed through a tweet that two minors,  both grandchildren of Srinagar positive case who was tested positive, have been tested positive today.

    Kansal said that two siblings including  including seven-year-old and eight-months-old have been tested positive today. Both are  the grand children of Srinagar positive case who had arrived Kashmir from Saudi Arabia and was tested positive earlier.

  • DAK COVID-19 Helpline : Mobile App

    DAK has come up with DAK COVID-19 Helpline Mobile Android based mobile Application, named as DAK-Helpdesk, wherefrom patients with minor ailments may take online consultations through Calls or WhatsApp


    Dr Masood Hassan
    Media and Publicity Secretary

    Download Link:

  • About 35 companies and academic institutions are racing to create a vaccine for Coronavirus

    Even at their most effective – and draconian – containment strategies have only slowed the spread of the respiratory disease Covid-19.

    With the World Health Organization finally declaring a pandemic, all eyes have turned to the prospect of a vaccine, because only a vaccine can prevent people from getting sick.

    About 35 companies and academic institutions are racing to create such a vaccine, at least four of which already have candidates they have been testing in animals. The first of these – produced by Boston-based biotech firm Moderna – will enter human trials imminently.

    This unprecedented speed is thanks in large part to early Chinese efforts to sequence the genetic material of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. China shared that sequence in early January, allowing research groups around the world to grow the live virus and study how it invades human cells and makes people sick.

    – Guardian

  • China seeks opening of border with Pak to supply medical equipment

    Islamabad: China has asked Pakistan to open the border between the two countries for one day on Friday so that medical supplies to fight coronavirus pandemic could be transported into the country, according to a media report.

    The Khunjerab Pass is usually opened on April 1 which marks the end of winter in that part, but due to the global outbreak of COVID-19, the border between Pakistan and China has been closed for an indefinite period.

    The Chinese embassy in a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the governor of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China would like to donate a batch of medical materials to Gilgit-Baltistan, the Dawn reported.

    According to the letter, the governor has donated 200,000 ordinary face masks, 2,000 N-95 face masks, five ventilators, 2,000 testing kits and 2,000 medical protective clothes mainly used by doctors and paramedics to fight with virus, which originated in China late last year.

    The donation is in response to a request made by GB Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman to the governor of Xinjiang region to combat coronavirus in the province.

    Gilgit-Baltistan has high percentage of coronavirus cases in the country compared to its population, but the underdeveloped region has a negligible number of operational ventilators and remoteness has led to a severe shortage of medical equipment.

    The province has reported 84 positive cases so far while the national tally has reached to 1,102 and the death toll to eight.

    Earlier, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Mohammad Afzal had said said Pakistan had sought to purchase medical equipment, including ventilators, but these were in short supply around the world and only China had assured that it would provide such items to Pakistan.

    Under a border protocol agreement of 1985, the Khunjerab border crossing remains closed from the end of November to April. Trade and travel activities between the two countries take place through Khunjerab Pass, also known as Sust Dry Port the only land route between China and Pakistan.

  • COVID-19: Won’t allow rush in banks, ATMs; JK Bank Chief

    KINS Desk | Kashmir Indepth

    Srinagar, March 26 (KINS): At a time when Jammu and Kashmir administration is implementing lockdown in letter and spirit with Kashmir reporting its first death due to Covid-19, J&K Bank Chairman Thursday made a fervent appeal to its customers not to create rush in Banks and ATMs to maintain social distancing.

    He also said that they have formulated a strategy and have directed the branch heads not to allow rush in Banks.

    “In view of the Covid-19, People need not to worry about cash dealing whether it is to deposit or withdrawal. Bank will continue to ensure that their customers have access to funds either directly or electronically. But yes we urge people to come one by one to Banks and maintain social distancing.” J&K Bank Chairman R K Chibber told Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) over phone.

    He said that the bank is implementing guidelines of the government in letter and spirit and that branch heads have been asked not to allow unnecessary rush in the banks.
    He appealed people to be responsible and understand the gravity of the situation.

    “All ATMS are being and have been sanitized across J&K especially in the Valley. I suggest people should take full advantage of net banking, which has been made easier for the customers,” he said.

    “We have provided sanitizers to all the ATM guards across J&K to keep ATMs clean. People should not panic and enjoy the banking with their bank.” Chibber maintained.
    It is to mention here that as the number of coronavirus cases in the country continues to rise, anxiety is prompting some people to make emergency preparations like withdrawing the cash in bulk from the Banks and ATMS.

    However when it comes to cash there are those who also worry that the cash itself could be a source for transmission. (KINS)

  • 14 persons arrested for offering prayers in mosque at Awantipora

    In order to control the spread of Covid 19, Awantipora Police today arrested fourteen persons who were offering zuhar prayers in Gade Mohalla Masjid Awantipora despite clear orders of District Magistrate Pulwama as well as various announcements made by Awantipora Police for offering prayers at home only.

    Today during patrolling police found 14 persons have assembled at Gade Mohalla Masjid for prayers.

    No sooner they came out of masjid sharif they were arrested and taken to Police Station for legal action.

    Case FIR number 38/2020 under section 188,270 IPC stands registered at Police Station Awantipora.

    People of Police District Awantipora are requested to follow various Government advisories to control the spread of Covid 19 . People are also requested to stay at their respective homes & offer prayers at their homes.