Seven more test positive for COVID-19 in J&K; toll rises to 45

Seven more COVID-19 cases were detected in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, prompting the administration to further tighten the restrictions on the movement of people.

“#COVID19 Four more cases detected positive in Kasmir. 2 each from Shopian and Srinagar. All contacts of previous positive cases. Contact tracing working on the ground (sic),” J&K government spokesperson Rohit Kansal, tweeted in the afternoon.

Earlier, in the morning, in another tweet, he said: “No new cases in Kashmir division; in Jammu Division 3 new positive cases.”

With these fresh cases, the total number of patients tested positive for the deadly virus in Jammu and Kashmir has risen to 45. While two among them died, two have recovered so-far.

A woman from the old city Khanyar area of Srinagar, who became the first case of the COVID-19 disease in Kashmir, has now tested negative for the novel disease.

“The Srinagar woman, who became the first coronavirus case in Kashmir on March 18 tested negative on Sunday at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar,” said a spokesman of SKIMS.

The 67-year-old woman had returned to her home on March 16th after performing Umrah (minor Hajj) in Saudi Arabia.

As COVID-19 cases continued to rise, restrictions on the movement and assembly of people was further tightened on Monday in a bid to contain any further spread of coronavirus.

The police and paramilitary forces have sealed the roads and erected barriers to check the movement of people. The markets across the valley are shut and transport off the roads.

Meanwhile, hundreds of students, who had been put under quarantine by J&K administration, will be allowed to go to their residences from Monday, making the facilities available for other ‘under observation’ individuals.

An official told DH that the decision to allow students to move to their homes and remain under quarantine in homes was taken to facilitate spaces for the growing number of contacts of positive patients requiring quarantine.