With Covid-19 cases and deaths continuing to rise in Jammu and Kashmir despite the lockdown, experts have warned that the Union Territory may record up to 10,000 positive cases and around 100 deaths per day by the end of May.
Chairman of J&K government’s apex level advisory committee for Covid-19, Prof M. S Khuroo said the pandemic is likely to peak within three to four weeks and stay at a plateau for several weeks before showing regression.
On an average, J&K is reporting around 5,000 positive cases and over 50 deaths daily in the recent days. “The next six to eight weeks are crucial as J&K is likely to witness 6,000 to 10,000 Covid cases and 60 to 100 deaths a day. All efforts need to be made to control the spread, save human lives and give comfort and care to the needy,” Prof Khuroo said.
Explaining the recent massive surge, he said that apart from mutation, the inability of society to follow Covid appropriate behaviour has been instrumental to bring us to this stage. “The vaccination programs should continue in full force even especially with variants circulating in the community,” he said.
Prof Khuroo added that implementation of Covid appropriate behaviour and vaccination shall reduce the occurrence of infections and once the virus replication is reduced occurrence of variants is also inhibited.
However, vaccination has slowed down in the UT due to shortage of supplies. J&K’s Health and Medical Education Commissioner, Atal Dulloo says vaccination would “pick up” as a fresh consignment of vaccines was expected soon.
He said that the lockdown could have already slowed down the rise of cases in J&K. “When the lockdown was imposed on April 29, the cases were rising steeply. They are still rising but the numbers that could have been there in one week, may now span over two weeks,” Dulloo added.