Active Covid cases cross 1,000 mark once again in Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar: Active Covid-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir crossed 1,000 again on Wednesday for the first time since January 27 after 126 fresh infections, the highest daily count in two months.

The new infections took the number of active cases to 1,008 while the tally since the pandemic began went up to 1,27,957.

The death toll reached 1,977 with one casualty in Kashmir division.

In the past 36 days, the union territory has added 415 active cases taking the total active cases to 1,008 on Wednesday from 593 on February 9, which was the lowest since May, 2020.

Since the first Covid-19 cases were detected in Jammu and Kashmir in March 2020, the active cases had crossed 1,000 mark in the last week of May 2020 when the pandemic was wreaking havoc across the globe.

By the end of the year, the cases had started to decline. The New Year ushered a constant decline in cases coupled with an increasing number of recovery of patients that pushed the active cases to plunge below the 1,000 mark again on January 28.

The decline of active cases had continued till February 9 when the number of active cases reached the lowest point of 593 patients.

Then the cases started marginally increasing again and the recoveries of patients started to reduce. Over 80% of the total Covid-19 infections in Jammu and Kashmir in the month of March so far have been reported in Kashmir valley, official data shows.

“There has been an increase but many of these are travellers. We are taking precautions and increasing testing,” said director health, Kashmir Samir Mattoo.

Officials said as many as 20 positive cases of novel coronavirus were reported from Jammu division and 106 from Kashmir division, including 29 travellers.

Moreover, 90 more Covid-19 patients recovered and, including 10 from Jammu division and 80 from Kashmir.

The officials said that 1,24,972 people have recovered in the UT so far, taking the recovery rate to 97.69%. There are now 1,008 active cases while the total number of tests conducted in the UT has crossed 56.34 lakh.

A total of 1,246 people have succumbed to the disease in Kashmir and 731 in Jammu.

In Kashmir, the highest jump in fresh cases was witnessed in Srinagar where 62 more people tested positive, including 23 travellers, while 23 more cases were reported in Baramulla.

In Jammu division, 15 cases were recorded in Jammu district and four in Doda. (Agency)