21 new cases of Covid-19 reported in J&K today.
17 from Kashmir Division and 4 from Jammu Division.
Total number of positive cases now 245.
Details follow in daily bulletin
21 new cases of Covid-19 reported in J&K today. 17 from Kashmir Division and 4 from Jammu Division. Total number of positive cases now 245. Details follow in daily bulletin@diprjk
— Rohit Kansal (@kansalrohit69) April 12, 2020
Total number of positive cases since outbreak in Iran tops 70,000
With 125 more deaths from the new coronavirus, Iran’s death toll rose to 4,357, a health official said on Saturday.
Kianoush Jahanpour, a Health Ministry spokesman, told a live state TV broadcast that 1,837 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total infections to 70,029.
Jahanpour said 41,947 people have recovered so far and were discharged from hospitals, while 3,987 patients are in critical condition.
Since appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 185 countries and regions.
Data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University shows that worldwide infections have exceeded 1.7 million, with the death toll surpassing 103,000. Nearly 379,000 people have recovered.
78% people in Jammu and Kashmir who were tested positive for COVID19 had no symptoms like dry cough or fever.
This is alarming!
Only social distancing, strict adherence to lockdown & control measures by the Govt can prevent the spread of pandemic.
A conspiracy theory that links 5G mobile telecommunications masts to the spread of the novel coronavirus is dangerous fake news and completely false, Britain said on Saturday after masts in several parts of the country were torched.
When asked by a reporter about the so called “theory” that 5G telecommunications masts could play a role in the spread of the disease, British Cabinet Officer Minister Michael Gove said: “That is just nonsense, dangerous nonsense as well.”
NHS England’s national medical director, Stephen Powis, said the 5G conspiracy idea was fake news with no scientific backing that risked damaging the emergency response to the outbreak.
“The 5G story is complete and utter rubbish, it’s nonsense, it’s the worst kind of fake news,” Powis said. “The reality is that the mobile phone networks are absolutely critical to all of us.”
“Those are also the phone networks that are used by our emergency services and our health workers and I’m absolutely outraged, absolutely disgusted that people would be taking action against the very infrastructure that we need to respond to this health emergency,” Powis said.
Mobile phone masts have been vandalized in Birmingham in central England and Merseyside in northern England in recent days.
A lobby group for the United Kingdom’s mobile operators – including EE, O2, Vodafone and Three – said it was aware of the false rumurs linking 5G to the outbreak, and threats to infrastructure and staff.
“The theories that are being spread about 5G on social media are baseless and are not grounded in accepted scientific theory,” UK Mobile said.
“Some people are also abusing our key workers and making threats to damage infrastructure under the pretense of claims about 5G.”
China’s National Health Commission said a total of 1,280 imported cases were reported in China.
China has reported 99 new coronavirus cases, the highest in a single day in recent weeks, and 63 fresh asymptomatic infections, taking the total number of patients in the country to 82,052, health officials said here on Saturday, amid concerns about a second wave of the pandemic.
According to China’s National Health Commission (NHC), as of Saturday, a total of 1,280 imported cases were reported in China. Of the cases, 481 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 799 were being treated with 36 in severe condition.
It said 99 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Saturday, of which 97 were from people returning from abroad.
Also on Saturday, 63 new asymptomatic cases, including 12 from abroad, were reported on the mainland. The NHC said 1,086 asymptomatic cases, including 332 from abroad, were still under medical observation.
Asymptomatic cases refer to people who are tested positive for the coronavirus but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. They are infectious and pose a risk of spreading to others.
The increase in COVID-19 cases after the virus was curbed in its epicentre Hubei province and its capital Wuhan has become a source of concern especially when China has permitted normal activities all over the country.
On Saturday Mi Feng, a spokesperson of the NHC, asked the public to strengthen protective measures and avoid gatherings after cluster infections of the coronavirus were reported in some parts of the country.
Noting that cluster infections have been reported in some parts of the country, Mi urged the public to strengthen protective measures and avoid gatherings, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The coronavirus cases are on the rise as hundreds of Chinese nationals held up in different countries where the COVID-19 outbreak is prevalent have returned home with the help of Chinese government.
Those returnees are being screened before shifting them to 14-day quarantine facilities.
The NHC said the overall death toll remained at 3,339 in the country with no new fatalities reported on Saturday. Two new domestically transmitted cases were also reported, both in Heilongjiang Province bordering Russia, it said.
Saturday also saw 49 new suspected cases, all imported ones, reported on the mainland.
The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 82,052 by Saturday, including 1,138 patients who were still being treated, 77,575 people discharged after recovery, and 3,339 people died of the disease.
By Saturday, 1,000 confirmed cases including four deaths had been reported in Hong Kong, 45 confirmed cases in Macao and 385 in Taiwan including six deaths, the NHC said.
A total of 336 patients in Hong Kong, 10 in Macao and 99 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, it said.
The novel coronavirus has killed 108,862 people and infected over 1.7 million people globally. The U.S. has the highest number of infections at 529,887, while Italy leads the death toll with 19,468 fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Jammu: The Jammu & Kashmir Police on Saturday raided high-security Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu and recovered mobile phones and SIM cards from possession of militants lodged there, sources disclosed.
Highly placed sources told wire service—Kashmir News Observer( KNO), that a team of District Police Jammu raided Kot Bhalwal Jail and recovered some (believed to be 4-5 in number) mobile phones from possession of militants and OGW lodged there.
The raid was carried out after an over ground worker of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) was arrested by Jammu Police from RS Pura area on Saturday morning and several sensitive and incriminating material including mobile SIM cards were recovered from his possession.
“Many vital leads were developed by investigation teams during questioning of arrested OGW following which teams of Jammu police under the supervision of SSP Jammu and SP HQrs Jammu raided the high security Kot Bhalwal Jail.” the sources said.
“The searches were carried out after the OGW disclosed during interrogation that he was in constant touch with the detained militants via phone,” sources said—(KNO)
108 tested positive out of 1292 samples at SKIMS lab till date
Srinagar: Just eight per cent samples have been tested positive for Covid-19 at SKIMS Soura laboratory out of the total 1292 samples tested to date.
According to wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), out of the total 1292 samples only 108 have been tested positive and1181 have been tested negative for Covid-19 while reports of 3 samples are still pending.
As per the details available with KNO, just 8 per cent samples have been tested positive for the virus at SKIMS lab till date while 91 per cent samples have turned negative.
Figures suggest that 366 suspected Covid-19 patients have been registered in SKIMS and 315 suspected patients who have tested negative for Covid-19 have been discharged from quarantine wards.
A total of 03 suspected patients who had tested positive have been discharged from quarantine wards till date while 12 Covid-19 positive patients have been transferred to SKIMS Medical College, Bemina.
31 Covid-19 positive patients are presently under observation in isolation 1, 2, 3 and 4 wards while 2 suspected patients who have been tested negative are presently under observation in isolation 1 and 2A wards. As per the details reports of 03 suspected patients who are presently under observation in quarantine are still awaited—(KNO)
Three policemen injured while trying to rescue them
Budgam: A medical team was on Saturday kept hostage inside a house in Sheikhpora, Wathoora village of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Saturday.
According to wire service — Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a medical team from Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Chadoora went to Sheikhpora village for screening of a person but the team was kept hostage inside the house.
An official from SDH Chadoora said that “as soon our members asked about the person who had travel history, his family members kept our whole medical team hostage in their house.”
Police official told KNO that a person from the village was to be taken for screening but his family members refused and kept the medical team hostage inside their house, adding that soon after being informed about the incident, a police party rushed to the village to rescue them but were attacked with stones.
However, he said that the medical team was rescued safely by the police. He further stated that while being attacked with stones, three of the policemen were injured.
Meanwhile, a case under FIR number 53/2020 under section 188, 269, 353 IPC has been registered at Police station Chadoora and further investigation has been taken up — (KNO)
Srinagar: The J&K High Court ordered stay on government order for cutting down female Russian poplar trees. They directed J&K Chief Secretary to constitute a panel within four days from now.
On April 3, J&K Government had ordered axing the poplar trees as it generates pollen believed to cause of respiratory allergy. But many experts oppose it citing no such credible study is available on it.
On April 11, the court directed the Chief Secretary to constitute a panel headed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and other experts on trees, medicine, respiratory diseases and other subjects relevant to the issue.
“The Committee shall suggest all necessary steps, including felling of trees, if necessary. The committee shall complete its deliberations expeditiously within a time frame to be fixed allotted by the Chief Secretary. Its report shall be forwarded to the Secretaries of the Departments of Health and Medical Education as well as Forests,” the court said.
The court directed that the Secretaries, Health and Forest Departments shall thereafter take a considered view on the report of the Committee and place the same before the Chief Secretary for consideration at the earliest.
“The final recommendations shall be placed before us at the earliest,” the court said
Advocate Shafqat Nazir cited previous court orders of 2015 on felling of poplar trees.
“If this is the position, we today direct that any prior order directing felling of the poplar trees would be kept in abeyance till the above proceedings of the committee and consideration directed today are completed, placed before us and further orders passed by us,” the court said.
It was recorded after Advocate Habeel Iqbal through e-mail mentioned that the indiscriminate felling of the trees (reported to be in several thousands) will have severe adverse economic and ecological impact, which may be irreversible. He gave reference to media reports as well.
The court while going through it recorded that a grave error is pointed out and female poplar trees have been directed by the authorities to be felled on account of the “pollen” generated by them. This in itself is a basic mistake, it said.
“Pollen is generated by the male of the species and not by the female tree. Therefore felling of the female species would not have any impact,” the court said.
It was also pointed out before the court that the fluff carries the seed and not pollen.
The court said, “In view thereof, it is necessary that the very basis of the issue and desirability of felling of female poplar trees needs to be revisited before these trees are felled. It also cannot be denied that there is grave urgency in the matter.”
On April 3, J&K Government had ordered axing the poplar trees as it generates pollen believed to cause of respiratory allergy.
Residents of Qyoom Colony, Main Chowk, Rawal Pora speaking to Kashmir Today said “There are many poplar trees in the area and the owner of the land Mr. Ghulam Nabi Rather, even after the government notification didn’t bothered to cut them down and now if these trees are not chopped down, we fear then later in the coming months its pollen will spread throughout the area which will eventually lead to many health issues.
We request Srinagar Administration to look into the matter and resolve it on the urgent basis.