Category: Union Territory

1,76,805 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases under surveillance

The Union Territory of J&K recorded 155 cases of novel coronavirus on Monday taking the total to 2,601. Three deaths were reported due to it.

“Of the 155 cases, 99 were from the Jammu division and 56 from the Kashmir division. Two deaths were reported from the Kashmir division and one from the Jammu division taking the toll to 31. Meanwhile, 946 patients have recovered so far,” a government spokesman said.

The spokesman said 1,76,805 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been enlisted for surveillance in J&K.

“The fresh cases include nine pregnant women and a doctor,” said Dr. Salim Khan, nodal officer for the COVID-19 at the Government Medical College here.

The fatalities included a 45-year-old man from Shopian, a 70-year-old man from Pulwama and a 72-year-old man from Doda district.

With inputs from The Hindu

Govt Undertakes To Submit Detention Record By Then

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Monday said it will consider plea challenging detention under Public Safety Act of Ali Muhammad Sagar, General Secretary of National Conference, on June 10.

A bench of Justice Sindhu Sharma passed the orders after Senior Additional Advocate General B. A. Dar undertook to produce the Sagar’s detention record before the Court by June 10.

Earlier, the Senior AAG submitted that he has filed counter affidavit and copy of the same has also been provided to counsel representing Sagar— Advocate Shuja-ul-Haq.

“List for consideration on 10.06.2020,” the court said, according to the GNS correspondent.

On May 20 last , the court granted “last and final opportunity” of ten days to the government for filing the counter-affidavit.

Previously, the court had directed the Government to consider the bail plea of Sagar having regard to health grounds and submit the report.

The court had also directed state counsel to keep available detention record. The application states that Sagar is an old aged person and is suffering from hypertension and orthopaedic complications.

“The applicant (Sagar) has developed a severe cardio vascular ailment during his detention since August 6,” reads the application. (GNS)

Srinagar: Amid COVID-19 lock down, the transport sector in Kashmir has been badly hit with people associated with this sector finding it hard to feed their families.

Transportation sector has been one of the primary victims of COVID-19. From rickshaw pullers, sumo drivers, all have been affected economically by the pandemic in Kashmir.

“We don’t have money even to buy medicines. We (transporters) have not earned a single penny for last three months. Unlike transporters, other sectors like shopkeepers are at least making some earning by opening their shops in the morning and evening hours. Nobody is concerned about us. We have been left at the mercy of God,” said Tahir Ahmad, a sumo driver.

Chairman Rekipora Kupwara Sumo Stand Drivers Association, Mumtaz Ahmad said transporters are facing immence problems due to lockdown.

“ The transporter sector has been totally ignored. There are 1300 sumos plying in Kupwara and nobody is bothered about us how we feed our families,” he told news agency KINS.
He appealed the Lieutenant Governor administration to pay attention towards the transporter sector.

“Various sectors have been given some package but we have been totally ignored. We are being forced to come to the streets,” he added.

Jammu and Kashmir administration has announced a Rs 350-crore package to mitigate hardships of people, particularly labourers and the destitute, during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.
“This lockdown has put a driver like me in deep trouble. It is very difficult for us to feed our families,” said Mohammad Subhan, a sumo driver. These days he is sitting idle at home. “I debited Rs 1000 from one of relatives that have been exhausted,” he added.

Divisional Commissioner Kashmir P K Pole when contacted told KINS that the government was aware of the problems faced by the people associated with transport sector.

“Government is taking measures for people from across the country. The government has announced a package and will see whether some amount can be provided to transport sector,” Pole said. (KINS)

PTI

Jammu: Director General of Border Security Force (BSF) S S Deswal visited forward areas along the International Border (IB) in Jammu frontier and reviewed the border domination plan, the border guarding force said on Monday.

Deswal, who arrived here on May 30 on a two-day visit, also reviewed the prevailing COVID-19 situation and advised the troops to indulge in physical activities for improved immunity to deal with the pandemic, a spokesperson of the BSF said.

Accompanied by Additional DG, S Panwar and Inspector General, Jammu frontier, N S Jamwal, he said the DG BSF visited the critical areas of the entire border stretch and held discussions with various sector and unit commanders besides police officers regarding border domination and other security measures being adopted.

The IG BSF briefed the chief about the complexities of management of Jammu border under prevailing security scenario, while the field commanders apprised him about the various ongoing construction works on the border and constraints being faced during their implementation, the spokesperson said.

He said the DG BSF also reviewed the border domination plan.

Interacting with jawans and patiently attending to their issues, the spokesperson said the DG BSF stressed about the importance of physical fitness and exhorted the troops to engage themselves in regular fitness exercises and games.

He also planted various tree saplings in the Border Out Posts to give it a look of ‘green border’, the spokesperson said.

He said Deswal stressed upon the idea of cultivation of land ahead of fencing with the help of BSF who can provide security to the farmers.

Poonch: Ten more militants were killed along LoC in Jammu division, taking the toll to 13.

An army official told GNS that in an ongoing counter-infiltration operation which started on 28th may, alert troops of Indian Army eliminated an infiltration bid along the LoC in Mendhar sector and killed atleast ten militants. The officer said searches are underway in the villages of Poonch district.

Earleir in the day army in a statement said that three militants were killed in Naushera. (GNS)

Srinagar: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Monday said blood pressure medicines do not increase the risk of infection, serious illness or death from the novel coronavirus.

“It is perfectly safe to continue your blood pressure medication during the Covid pandemic,” said DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan.

“People have apprehensions that ACE inhibitors and ARBs, two classes of drugs that are widely prescribed for high blood pressure increase the risk of Covid infection and the likelihood of severe illness among those infected with the novel virus,” he said.

“ACE inhibitors include enalapril, lisinopril, captopril and other drugs with generic names ending in –pril; ARBs include Losartan, telmisartan, olmesartan and other generic drugs ending in –sartan,” he added.

Dr Nisar said speculations about worse outcomes among patients on these medications during the Covid pandemic have caused widespread anxiety among patients and their care providers.

Quoting three studies published in New England Journal of Medicine, Dr Nisar said no link was found between the use of blood pressure drugs and coronavirus infection.

“It was also revealed that patients on these drugs faced no increase in risk of becoming severely ill with Covid infection,” he added.

Dr Nisar said the articles showed no association between use of the two classes of blood pressure drugs of concern and dying from Covid-19.

“In fact, some studies suggest that these drugs might reduce lung injury in people infected with the novel virus,” he said.

Dr Nisar said it is vitally important to keep your blood pressure well controlled and take medication as advised.

“Having high blood pressure has been associated with higher rate of dying from Covid-19,” he said.

“People should stick with their blood pressure medication because high blood pressure is a risk factor for heart attack, stroke and kidney failure,” said Dr Nisar.

Directors asked to make availability of safety items to students and staff

Srinagar: Directors of school education Kashmir and Jammu have been directed to make availability of safety items in government schools to students in view outbreak of coronavirus.

Director Finance School Education Department has written a letter to Director School Education Kashmir and Jammu. As per the letter, a copy of which lies with KINS reads, “As Government intends to re-open schools in mid of June 2020. I am directed to convey to ensure safety measures in all government schools to arrest spread of Coronavirus to students and staff therein.

In this connection necessary instructions may be circulated to heads of all government schools to provide a pair of reusable masks and a pair of hand gloves to every student and ensure availability of one thousand (1000) ml bulk hand sanitizes and 1200 ml liquid soap with disperser at entry point to each Government school. Expenditure on this account shall be debited to Samagra Grants released to all institutions for day to day expenses.”

Checkpoints along the International Border and on the Jammu-Pathankot highway are on alert

PTI

Security forces launched a search operation following “suspected movement” in the riverine areas along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua-Samba sector, officials said on Monday.

The Border Security Force (BSF) and police launched the operation in the Hiranagar area late Sunday night after receiving information about the use of torch lights and suspected movement along the border, they said.

The entire area was cordoned off and searches conducted till Monday morning, the officials said.

The operation is going on in Samba sector’s riverine areas of Basantar and Eik Nalah areas, which are adjacent to Hiranagar, they said.

In the last few years, terrorists have infiltrated into India through Hiranagar and Samba and carried out attacks on army camps, police stations in Samba, Kathua, Jammu and Nagrota areas.

Checkpoints along the International Border and on the Jammu-Pathankot highway are on alert.

Srinagar: A 72-year-old man with comorbities from Doda district on Monday died of covid-19 at GMC Jammu, taking the death toll due to the virus to 30 in Jammu and Kashmir.

“He had multiple problems like COPD and heart ailments,” Medical Superintendent GMC Jammu, Dr. Dara Singh, told GNS. He said that test for the covid-19 had returned positive yesterday.

Earlier in the day, a 45-year-old man from Shopian district died at SKIMS Soura.

The victim, a resident of Ramnagar Shopian, was admitted to in SKIMS Soura’s Emergency at 9 P.M. on May 31 as a case of “CKD, ESRD with b/l Chest infiltrates”, Professor Farooq Jan, Medical Superintendent of SKIMS told GNS. “The patient had AGE like illness and was in shock,” he said, adding, “after initial stabilization, the patient was shifted to Ward 2A as a suspect case of COVID-19 and his nasopharyngeal swab was taken.”

He said that the patient expired during midnight. “The body was kept in mortuary and all precautions were taken,” he said. The swab sample for the COVID-19 came positive at 2p.m., he added.

With these fatalities, the death toll due to the virus in J&K has gone upto 30. So far Srinagar district has highest number of the fatalities—7 followed by Anantnag and Baramulla with five deaths each, Kulgam has reported four while Budgam, shopian and Jammu have two each and one death each has been reported from Bandipora, Doda and Udhampur. (GNS)

Srinagar: A day after a 45-year-old man from Shopian district died at SKIMS Soura, his swap sample returned positive for the novel coronavirus on Monday, taking the death toll due to the dreaded disease in Jammu and Kashmir to 29.

The victim, a resident of Ramnagar Shopian, was admitted to in SKIMS Soura’s Emergency at 9 P.M. on May 31 as a case of “CKD, ESRD with b/l Chest infiltrates”, Professor Farooq Jan, Medical superintendent of the tertiary hospital told GNS. “The patient had AGE like illness and was in shock,” he said, adding, “after initial stabilization, the patient was shifted to Ward 2A as a suspect case of COVID-19 and his nasopharyngeal swab was taken.”

He said that the patient expired during midnight. “The body was kept in mortuary and all precautions were taken,” he said. The swab sample for the COVID-19 came positive at 2p.m., he added.

With the fatality, the death toll due to the virus in J&K has gone upto 29. So far Srinagar district has highest number of the fatalities—7 followed by Anantnag and Baramulla with five deaths each, Kulgam has reported four while Budgam, Shopian and Jammu have two each and one death each has been reported from Bandipora and Udhampur. (GNS)