At 60, Jammu and Kashmir records highest single-day Covid-19 deaths

Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday recorded the highest Covid-19 deaths in a day since the start of the pandemic.

According to a daily media bulletin, as many as 60 people succumbed to the virus on the day, taking the toll to 2,672. This was the third day on the trot that the Union Territory (UT) recorded over 50 fatalities due to the deadly virus.

Out of 2,694 patients admitted in hospitals in J&K, 2,324 are on oxygen support and 112 are on ventilators, the official figures reveal.

Read | Covid-19: Fewer women than men get vaccinated in Kashmir

The 4,788 fresh cases is lower than yesterday’s 5,443. The low number of cases can be attributed to less tests (46,792) conducted on Saturday compared to 49,781 the previous day. The fresh cases took the tally to 2,11,742. Since May 1, the UT has witnessed 389 deaths and 35,659 positive cases.

At 46,535, active cases account for nearly a fifth of the total count. As many as 2,500 people recovered on Saturday, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,62,535. The recovery rate stands at nearly 77% at present.

The coronavirus outbreak was reported in Jammu and Kashmir on 7 March 2020, when two persons tested positive for the deadly infection. The peak of the first wave was September 12 when 1,698 positive cases were reported.

The high infection rate of the mutant virus as per the doctors is the main reason for the spike which has continued despite lockdown. The ‘corona curfew’ remained imposed in J&K on the 10th consecutive day on Saturday.

However, the administration is allowing grocery shops, milk and dairy product shops, fruit and vegetable markets, bakery and meat shops to function between 0900 hrs and 1800 hrs even during the lockdown.

Chemist shops, LPG/petrol pumps, ATM, media, FCI, e-Commerce, construction activities, Covid-19 vaccination, inter-state movement are also allowed during the lockdown.