Category: Union Territory

Srinagar: Super Specialty Hospital (SSH) in Shireenbagh Srinagar is turning out to be hub of lethal Coronavirus infection.

Today, two staff nurses and an attendant were found positive in the hospital. In all, three employees of the hospital including a lady doctor were found positive for Covid-19 lethal infection.

Sources told KNT that after the death of a youth due to Covid-19 in the hospital, samples of dozens of attendants were collected and today one more positive case of an attendant surfaced, besides, two staff nurses.

“We have to restrict the visits of attendants in the hospital. Attendants should be allowed to stay in the hospital only after testing negative. More and more attendants are found positive for Coronavirus,” said a physician.

Earlier, a lady doctor posted at Super Specialty Hospital (SSH) was tested positive. An attendant of a patient from Poonch district was also tested positive in the same hospital.

“It seems to be the epicenter of Coronavirus infection. Attendants are found to be main agents of Coronavirus carriers,” said the Physician adding that even in Bone and Joint Hospital Barzulla, 6 attendants were found positive.

Pertinently, 12 positive cases surface from Kashmir today. 4 cases were reported from Srinagar, Ganderbal 4, Kupwara 2, Shopian and Pulwama one each. (KNT)

Budgam: Locals from a Budgam village here in Central Kashmir Saturday accused combined forces of vandalizing property and making arrests of what they call innocent people.

Locals from Nasrullah Pora, Budgam said that combined forces including Jammu Kashmir Police and CRPF entered into village at around 11:30 on Friday night and started vandalizing public property.

“The Forces damaged parked vehicles, shops and gates of the house. They barged into the houses and damaged my JCB, LeD TV, Washing Machine, Refrigerator, Maruti Alto and other things. They spared only a few households and created havoc in almost in home,” said a local to KNT.

Another local said that Forces personnel arrested people at random during night. ‘Even elderly people were not spared and arrested,” he said.

Divulging information about the incident that occurred in the village a day before Forces action, locals said that a police officer barged into Jamia Masjid at Mir Mohalla on Friday and asked them to disperse without offering Friday prayers. “Some of the youth lose cool and they attacked the police officer who suffered injuries. If some people have violated law, why to punish every villager,” they said and claimed property worth lakhs were damaged by Forces personnel.

“We have migrated to other villages. Only women folk are present in the houses,” they said.

District police chief Ashok Amod Nagpuri narrated a different tale blaming people for the mess. “First they attacked our police officer and then they resorted to stone-pelting. When police tried to disperse them they pelted stones, injuring four other cops,” he said.

“After the killing of Reyaz Naikoo, police took all the measures to maintain law and order in the district. A police party led by DSP was attacked in Nasrullah Pora. Four other cops too sustained injuries. They resorted to massive stone-pelting damaging public property including shops and vehicles,” SSP Budgam said adding that over 10 miscreants have been arrested and more arrests are expected. (KNT)

Srinagar: The administration on Saturday said that the mobile internet services across Kashmir will be restored soon.

The services (2G mobile internet) were suspended soon after the encounter broke out between forces and militants in Awantipora area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district where a top Hizb commander, Riyaz Naikoo was killed along with his aide on Wednesday.

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, P K Pole told news agency that to suspend the services across Kashmir was mandatory for peace and to maintain law and order. “The services were suspended to maintain law and order.

We are accessing the situation and the services will be restored shortly,” he said. Earlier, the mobile services which also remained suspended for over 48 hours in Kashmir were restored by the government on Friday evening. Barring Bharat Snachar Nigam Limited (BSNL), all the cellular services were suspended in Kashmir as precautionary measure.

Jammu: The Government Saturday informed that 13 new positive cases of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), 01 from Jammu division and 12 from Kashmir division, have been reported today thus taking the total number of positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir to 836. According to the daily Media Bulletin on novel Coronavirus (Covid-19), out of 836 positive cases, 459 are Active Positive, 368 have recovered and 09 have died.

Moreover, 04 more COVID-19 patients have recovered and discharged from various hospitals, 01 from Jammu division and 03 from Kashmir Division. The Bulletin further said that out of 44753 test results available, 43917 samples have tested as negative till May 09, 2020.

Furthermore, till date 90541 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been enlisted for surveillance which included 20092 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 167 in Hospital Quarantine, 459 in hospital isolation and 9244 under home surveillance. Besides, 60570 persons have completed their surveillance period.

Providing district-wise breakup, the Bulletin said that Bandipora has 134 positive cases with 58 Active Positive, 75 recovered, 01 death; Srinagar has 131 (including 02 today) positive cases with 52 Active Positive, 76 recovered, 03 deaths; Anantnag district has 122 positive cases with 120 Active Positive, 01 recovered, 01 death; Baramulla has 106 positive cases with 58 Active Positive, 45 recovered (including 03 reported today), 03 deaths; Shopian has 100 positive cases (including 02 cases reported today) with 53 Active Positive, 47 recovered; Kupwara has 71 positive cases (including 02 cases reported today) with 38 Active Positive, 33 recovered; Budgam has 46 positive cases with 33 Active Positive and 13 recovered cases; Ganderbal has 23 positive cases including 04 cases reported today with 09 Active case and 14 recoveries; Kulgam has 21 positive cases (including 01 case reported today) with 16 Active Positive and 05 recoveries; Pulwama reported 13 positive cases (including 01 case reported today) with 09 active positive, 04 recovered.

Similarly, Jammu has 31 positive cases with 05 active positive cases and 26 recoveries; Udhampur has 22 positive cases with 02 active positive case, 19 recovered and 01 death; Samba has 07 positive cases with 03 Active Positive and 04 recoveries; Rajouri has 04 positive cases, all have recovered including one recovery today; Kathua has 02 positive case (including 01 case reported today) with 01 active positive; 01 recovered; Kishtwar had only 01 positive case who has recovered, Ramban has 01 active positive case while Reasi also has 01 active positive case.

The Bulletin said that the breakup represents districts from which the patients have been traced or are ordinarily residing. The Bulletin has urged upon the people to clean hands frequently and thoroughly to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. “Wash your hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. If you use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, make sure you use and store it carefully”, the people are asked further. The bulletin, while elaborating the way of using hand sanitizer and necessity of following certain guidelines, has issued several advisories including ‘Apply a coin-sized amount on your hands. There is no need to use a large amount of the product. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose immediately after using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, as it can cause irritation. Hand sanitizers recommended to protect against COVID-19 are alcohol based and therefore can be flammable. Do not use before handling fire or cooking. Keep alcohol-based hand sanitizers out of children’s reach. Teach them how to apply the sanitizer and monitor its use. Under no circumstance, drink or let children swallow an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. It can be poisonous. Remember that washing your hands with soap and water is also effective against COVID-19’.

As a measure for social distancing in public places & workplaces wearing a face cover is compulsory. The advisory further explains that early detection of COVID-19 can prevent the spread of disease, let us 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 urged 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 handwashing 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 dialling 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 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

Public is advised to strictly follow the advisories issued by the government from time to time and are urged to 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.

Srinagar: Patients who have been tested positive for coronavirus and suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease need the ventilator support for their survival.

Amid surge in COVID-19 cases, less than five percent patients needed the ventilator support in Jammu and Kashmir and the recovery percentage of the Union Territory is better than national average.

However, it has been found that those who suffer from COPD need ventilator support.

“These (COPD) patients are already facing breathlessness. People who are tested positive and are suffering from COPD or any chest related ailment need ventilator support for their survival,” a senior doctor at SKIMS Soura told news agency KINS.

“People should not worry Kashmir over shortage of ventilators. Only critical care patients need the ventilator support,” the doctor said.
Ventilators are required for COVID-19 patients who develop acute respiratory distress syndrome when the lungs are filled with fluids that make it difficult to breathe.

“But we needed ventilator for very less patients which are a good sign for J&K. A ventilator is used when lungs are filled with fluid. Such patients find it very difficult to be oxygenated in a normal way,” another doctor said.

COPD is associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airways and lungs to noxious particles and gases.

A study has revealed that “COPD prevalence was 28.2 percent among current smokers and 22 percent among ex-smokers in Kashmir”.

This indicates over 50 percent patients who develop COPD are related to smoking in Kashmir.

Inhaled noxious particles most important being the tobacco smoke cause inflammatory response in the lungs which is exaggerated in some smokers and leads to characteristic pathological lesions of COPD, it says.

The study says that COPD represents an important challenge that is both preventable and treatable.

“The increase in mortality will be largely due to cumulative exposure of the population to cigarette smoke and the expected aging of the population,” it says. (KINS)

To the lockdown will be sent back to their native places in air-conditioned buses from Bhopal on Saturday, an official said.

As many as 365 Kashmiri students stuck in different districts of the State will return home in 18 AC buses from Bhopal, a public relations department official said.

The students are currently accommodated in a private school in Gandhinagar locality of Bhopal, he said, adding that they will leave at around 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Internet services continue to remain suspended across Kashmir

Srinagar: The cellular services were restored by the government on Friday evening after remaining suspended for three days in the Valley. However, the internet services across Kashmir continued to remain suspended across the Valley as precautionary measure.

People – mostly students, professionals, traders and media persons – suffered badly as cellular and internet services of all companies remained suspended for the third successive day due to security reasons in Kashmir. The services were suspended on Wednesday after top Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Riyaz Naikoo and three other militants were killed in two separate encounters in south Kashmir district of Pulwama.

Only Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) mobile phone and landline services were working in the valley, where curfew-like restrictions

remained imposed in some areas to maintain law and order.
However, the government on late Friday evening restored the cellular services across Kashmir barring Pulwama district in South Kashmir while it continued to suspend the internet services here as precautionary measure.

The consumers told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the services were restored in Kashmir, but stated that some cellular services are yet to restore services. The services were not restored in Pulwama district when the report was last filed.

Official sources said that mobile internet services of all cellular companies, including BSNL, remained suspended since Wednesday morning as a precautionary measure. “Barring BSNL, mobile phone service of other telecom operators also remained suspended in the valley,” they said.

In a major success, security forces on Wednesday killed Naikoo besides three other militants in two separate encounters in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Fearing deterioration of law and order situation, authorities suspended mobile phone and internet services in the Valley.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir zone, Vijay Kumar had on Thursday said that the communication services in Kashmir will be restored soon—(KNO)

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has scaled up sampling and testing facilities, with over 3,000 samples and 1.000 tests on a daily basis.

The increased sampling and testing has become all the more important as the migrant workers and students belonging to the Union territory are returning back to their home districts, an official spokesperson said.

Special sample collection centres have been set up in Lakhanpur in Kathua, Thandi khui in Samba, Tikri in Udhampur, one in Doda. All migrant labourers and truck drivers are being tested at Lakhanpur. – PTI

The Jammu and Kashmir government is arranging special trains for its residents stranded across the country due to the lockdown and will bear the cost of the tickets, even as 30,000 people have so far returned there with proper regulation, the Home Department said on Friday.

“Train services are being arranged for stranded persons of J-K, particularly from far off places. These trains will start arriving shortly and necessary coordination with the sending states as also with Railway authorities is going on,” a statement from the J&K Home Department said.

It said the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to bear the cost of the tickets.

–PTI