Blog

  • Mobile internet services to be restored shortly: Div Com

    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.

  • COVID-19: 13 new positive cases reported, toll reaches 836

    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.

  • Covid-19 | Delhi reports 224 new cases

    224 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Delhi, taking the total number of cases to 6,542, according to a health bulletin by the Delhi government.

    Of the 6,542 cases, 2,020 people have recovered and there are 4,454 active cases. The new cases were reported between  4 p.m. on May 8 to 12 a.m. today

  • COPD patients if tested positive for COVID-19 need ventilator support

    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)

  • Death of two pregnant women in Anantnag: Probe team misses deadline to submit report

    Srinagar: Probe team has missed the deadline to complete the probe into the death of two pregnant women who died due to alleged medical negligence in Anantnag district.

    District Development Commissioner Tuesday Bashir Ahmad Dar has assured strict action against any negligence, if any, into the death of two pregnant women after completion of probe within three days.

    Additional Deputy Commissioner Anantnag was directed to complete the probe within three days. However, five days after, the authorities are yet to complete the probe.

    “The probe team could not submit report due to present situation. The probe is at final stage. We expect probe report will be submitted soon,” District Development Commissioner Anantnag Bashir Ahmad Dar told news agency KINS.

    Shakeela, 30, wife of Zahoor Ahmad from Salia village died allegedly due to delay in her treatment at SDH Seer on last Sunday. She was declared bought dead at MCCH Anantnag.

    Fearing her samples may be taken for COVID19 testing, the family took the body out of the hospital on a stretcher trolley.

    A video also went viral on social media wherein wailing family members were seen carrying her body on a trolley on the road.

    Earlier, 35-year-old Ruyaqa, wife of Javed Ahmad from Kharpora-Larnoo village in Kokernag, a designated red zone, died at MCCH, after delivering stillborn twins.

    She was admitted to the general ward of the hospital where she came in contact with patients, attendants, doctors, and paramedics.

    Her body was handed over to the family for last rites. A day after her test returned positive for coronavirus.

    A court has also asked the police to inquire and ascertain the cause of the death of two pregnant women in Anantnag hospitals. It also directed the police to probe the ferrying of the body of a woman by her family in a trolley.

    “In order to find out the cause of the death of this pregnant woman (yesterday) and the one who died earlier after giving birth to stillborn twins, I direct Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Anantnag to hold an inquiry into the matter,” reads an order issued by principal district session judge Anantnag Parvez Hussain Kachroo.

    The court held that the women died apparently for want of proper medical treatment. “The SSP Anantnag shall either hold an inquiry by himself or by any other officer but not below the rank of SP,” the court said. (KINS)

  • Tamil Nadu moves SC against HC order barring counter sale of alcohol

    The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday moved the Supreme Court challenging a Madras High Court order for closure of state-run liquor outlets on the ground that there was total violation of guidelines meant to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The Madras High Court had on Friday ordered closure of liquor outlets noting that there were huge crowds and no social distancing was being maintained by tipplers. It, however, allowed doorstep delivery of booze through online mode.

  • Careful Not to Criticise PM, Rahul Gandhi Advises Govt to Deal with Coronavirus Crisis

    A freewheeling interview, some banter thrown in, and careful attention to the fact that no personal attacks on PM Narendra Modi are made while questioning the government over the coronavirus pandemic crisis was the template of Gandhi’s press conference.

    A freewheeling interview, some banter thrown in, and careful attention to the fact that no personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be made while questioning the government over the coronavirus pandemic crisis and how it is being handled.

    Rahul Gandhi’s press conference, addressed on Friday via video conference, was packed with suggestions and the most important related to an economic package. Gandhi suggested a cash transfer into everyone’s account as a bailout.

    “Call it ‘nyay’ (justice) or call it by any other name but do it,” he urged the central government.

    But the most important advicefrom Gandhi was that the fear factor of the pandemic must be reduced.

    “Only a few people die, only about 1%-2% of the affected, so we shouldn’t panic,” he said.

    It is this fear factor that has scared and stopped many state governments within the country and many governments abroad from opening up and lifting their lockdowns. But now experts are beginning to advise that endless lockdowns do not help as they hurt the economy and do irreparable damage. Despite a stringent lockdown, the number of infections is not showing signs of reducing anytime soon.

    The idea behind these press conferences is simple. One is to show that Modi doesn’t hold such briefings and that transparency isn’t the hallmark of the BJP. It’s not on these grounds that Gandhi has raised objections to the Aarogya Setu mobiel app.

    The Congress wants to project itself as a positive alternative, one with real ideas and which will not just rant against the government and the Prime Minister. Even while criticising the government, Gandhi tried to take care to temper it with suggestions.

    The reality which the Congress is and should be aware of is that during a crisis, criticising the government can boomerang. No one wants an opposition that criticises without caring to be careful.

  • Video | Firefighters put out blaze near Dubai Airport

    Thick black fumes were seen billowing from the Umm Ramool area earlier this morning, with early reports saying a warehouse had caught fire.

    The Dubai Civil Defence were quick to respond to the emergency and contain the fire.

    Light black smoke can still be seen in the area.

    According to last reports the raging fire in Dubai has now been contained.

    Watch Video:

  • U.S. adds 1,635 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, says Johns Hopkins University tracker

    AFP

    The United States recorded 1,635 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 77,178, according to the latest real-time tally Friday reported by Johns Hopkins University.

    The country — hardest hit by the pandemic in terms of the number of fatalities — has now confirmed a total of 12,83,829 cases, the Baltimore-based school reported.

  • 365 Kashmiri students to return home from Bhopal in 18 buses

    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.