Fresh Covid-19 cases dip but mortality surges in J&K

Daily cases of Covid-19 in Jammu and Kashmir continued to fall after hitting a peak earlier this month, but deaths continued to rise as highest-ever single-day fatalities – 73 – were recorded on Monday.

According to a daily media bulletin, J&K reported 3,344 fresh cases on Monday, down from 4,141 reported on the previous day. The union territory (UT) recorded 73 deaths, the highest in a single day so far. The total Covid-19 tally in the Union Territory (UT) has reached 2,47,952 and toll 3,222.

During the second wave, which has wreaked havoc in J&K, the number of deaths has been increasing at a rapid pace. While the seven-day average of daily cases has fallen steadily from a peak of 3,978 on May 8 to 3,362 on May 15, the average daily fatalities have risen.

The seven-day average of daily deaths from May 1 to May 8 was 37.75 per day, which has crossed to 52.42 a week later on May 15. A significant number of deaths have taken place in young and healthy individuals, official data reveals. In the Jammu division, 56 per cent of deaths have been in people aged 60 years and above, while 44 per cent among those aged lesser.

In Kashmir, 12 per cent (60) of the victims have been below 45 years of age, while 75 per cent of the victims have been over 60 years of age. At least 7 per cent of the victims were aged less than 45 years in Kashmir.

According to health experts, the current rise in death rate could be attributed to three factors - lack of ICU and ventilators as the UT handles over 50,000 active cases, delay in seeking timely care, and delay in being referred from periphery hospitals to tertiary centres.

As per the details shared by the Health Department, 5,400 hospital beds have been designated for Covid-19 patients, of which 3,358 are occupied by patients admitted in various hospitals across J&K. At least 2,875 Covid-19 patients are on oxygen support and 126 on ventilator support.

Meanwhile, normal life continued to remain affected across J&K in view of Corona Curfew that entered into the 19th straight day on Monday even as many people were booked for violating the lockdown. The restrictions on the public movement and assembly continued on Monday. Most of the people stayed indoors.

It may be recalled that on April 29, the J&K administration imposed curfew in 11 districts to curtail the spread of Covid-19, which was subsequently extended to all the 20 districts the next day.