8 deaths, 444 fresh infections in J&K

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday recorded eight deaths and 444 fresh Covid-19 infections, taking the total number of positive cases in the Union territory to 21,416, officials said.

Of the new cases, 238 are from Kashmir and 206 from Jammu division. Among these, 84 patients have a travel history.

“Of the total 21,416 positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir, 4,485 have been reported as travellers,” an official spokesman said.

Officials said eight more people have succumbed to the disease in Kashmir. The highest single day spike of 17 deaths, since the pandemic spread, was recorded on July 30.

With this, the death toll in the UT has risen to 396—368 fatalities in Kashmir and 28 in Jammu division till date. The total death toll crossed 300 on July 25, 122 days after the first fatality due to the coronavirus was reported on

March 26.

The UT, particularly Kashmir valley, is witnessing an increase in the daily death toll. As many as 276 persons have died in July alone. However, officials said the mortality rate was low in Jammu and Kashmir as compared to the national average.

Srinagar is the worst affected district in the UT. “Srinagar has 5,153 positive cases, including 62 cases reported on Sunday, with 2,777 active case and 130 deaths,” the spokesman said.

Active cases in the UT stand at 7,893 after 256 more patients recovered on Sunday. A government spokesperson said 123 people were discharged in Jammu division and 133 in Kashmir.

In Jammu division, the highest number of 69 cases were reported in Udhampur district and 65 in Jammu district.

In Kashmir, the highest jump in cases was witnessed in Srinagar and Pulwama where 62 more people tested positive in each district followed by Anantnag at 28 and Shopian at 22.