15 succumb to virus, 654 test positive in J&K

SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir on Friday recorded 15 deaths and 654 fresh Covid-19 infections, taking the total number of positive cases in the Union territory to 31,371, officials said.

Of the new cases, 640 were reported in Kashmir and 114 in Jammu division. The highest number of 206 fresh cases are from Srinagar followed by 68 in Budgam and 63 in Jammu district.

Fifteen more people have succumbed to the virus in Kashmir and the death toll in the UT now stands at 593. Also, 580 more people have been cured and discharged. There are 6,973 active coronavirus cases, while 23,805 patients have recovered so far, officials said.

The Valley accounts for 552 fatalities due to the disease and the Jammu region 41 deaths, according to the officials.

So far, 4,22,670 people have been enlisted for observation and 42,078 have been kept in home quarantine. According to government figures, 8,44,641 people have been tested for the disease across 20 districts of the UT till date.

2 VAISHNO DEVI PILGRIMS FROM BIHAR FOUND INFECTED

Two pilgrims, who had come for the Vaishno Devi yatra, from Bihar have tested positive for Covid-19 at Katra, chief executive officer of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Ramesh Kumar said.

“They have been hospitalized,” he said, adding that three more people accompanying them have tested negative.

“They had not entered the track and were not in Ban Ganga as well. They were staying in a colony. We are allowing pilgrims only after they test negative at Katra,” he added.

“The shrine board staff and security forces are also tested for the virus and only then allowed to proceed on tracks. Strict safety measures are being taken,” he said.