UT reports 333 fresh cases, one fatality
STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar/Jammu: Amid a spike in Covid cases, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has made face masks mandatory in four districts of the Union Territory, officials said on Tuesday.
The number for active Covid cases, which had dropped to just below 50 towards the end of May, rose to nearly 1,200 on Monday. While Srinagar has 390 active cases, Jammu has 519.
According to officials, wearing of face masks has been made compulsory in Srinagar, Ganderbal, Bandipora, and Ramban districts in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19, they said.
During the past 24 hours, the Union Territory reported 333 fresh COVID-19 cases, a nearly 120 per cent jump over the previous day’s count, and one fatality due to the disease, officials said here.
The tally of the infections in the Union territory now stands at 4,57,517, while the death toll is at 4,760, they said.
While 187 cases of the disease were reported from Jammu division, 146 cases were from Kashmir valley, the officials said.
There are 1,402 active cases of the disease in the Union territory at present, and the number of recoveries has reached 4,51,355, they said.
According to an order issued by Ramban District Magistrate Massarat Alam, face mask is mandatory for everyone visiting government offices, health institutes, banks and financial institutions in the district to contain the spread of Covid.
“In view of rise in the number of covid cases in Ramban, it is hereby ordered that all the persons visiting government offices, health institutes, banks and financial institutes across the district shall compulsorily wear facemasks, failing which no entry shall be allowed to them,” the order issued on Tuesday night said.
The order enjoined upon the authorities of educational department and institutes to ensure wearing of face mask by teaching members, staff and students without fail.
The administration also sought the ramping up rapid antigen testing on the highway at Banihal, Nashri tunnel and the railway station at Banihal to prevent the spread of Covid spread, it said.
Meanwhile, Ladakh recorded 13 fresh Covid cases that pushed the infection tally to 28,648, officials said.
All the new cases were recorded in Leh, they said.
So far, 228 people have succumbed to COVID-19 in Ladakh. Of these, 168 deaths were reported from Leh and 60 from Kargil, according to officials.
The number of active cases stands at 75 in Ladakh — all in Leh, they said.
Of the total 227 sample reports tested in Ladakh, 119 in Leh and 15 in Kargil were found to be negative, officials said.
Four people were discharged from hospital in Leh, taking the overall recoveries to 28,345, officials said. As many as 2,239 passengers were screened at Leh airport, 587 peole, including drivers and helpers of trucks and light motor vehicles, were screened at Khaltse, and 267 were screened at Upshi check post on the highway, they added.