Sharp increase in COVID cases; 1695 test positive, 1 death in J&K

Srinagar: J&K today recorded its highest case tally since June 2 with 1695 people testing positive and one casualty. The current pace of case doubling in the UT is 2.6 days.

From January 4 to January 12, the number of COVID19 cases in J&K has increased from 199 to 1695. The case doubling has taken place thrice in eight days, the current doubling time thus 2.6 days only.

Many experts in J&K have warned about the fast pace of spread in the UT, some estimating that the number of cases may shoot up to many thousands in the coming days. In the past 24 hours, the number of cases in J&K increased by 547.

Case doubling time in India has been ranging between 1.5 and 3 days in India. Omicron variants pace of spreading is the fastest recorded till date.

J&K Government today said that the number of tests carried out in Kashmir division was 40400, the highest till date. Additional Chief Secretary J&K Government (Health and Medical Education) Vivek Bhardwaj said that the number of tests was being increased across the districts.

“The number of cases is also expected to increase as we increase testing,” he said. The total number of samples tested in J&K was 65348. The percentage of samples found positive today has increased to 2.5, double of the 1.3 positive percentage recorded on January 9.

The cases increase was recorded in both Jammu and Kashmir divisions. Today, Kashmir division reported 883 cases, while the Jammu division had 812 cases. District Jammu had its highest case tally and had 438 cases today while district Srinagar had 320 cases. District Baramulla had a spike in its cases today and had 250 cases. In district Budgam, 116 people tested positive.

Today’s has been the highest case tally since June 2 in J&K. One casualty was attributed to COVID19 in the UT in the official bulletin, the deceased belonging to Jammu division. The number of vaccines administered in the past 24 hours, the bulletin said, was 71541.