Ladakh records 198 fresh Covid infections, count mounts to 437

All fresh cases are from Kargil district

JAMMU:: Ladakh recorded the biggest single-day spike of 198 Covid-19 infections on Saturday, taking the total number of cases in the Union territory to 437, officials said.

All fresh cases were from Kargil district, which has been witnessing a surge in number of positive cases.

“198 more people tested positive for the virus in Kargil district. With this, the number of active cases in Ladakh has gone up to 368—including 68 in Leh and 300 in Kargil,” a health official said.

“Of the 300 active cases in Kargil district, 81 patients are admitted in Covid hospitals, 111 are in home quarantine and 108 at Covid care centres,” he added.

Six patients were discharged from a Covid hospital Mahabodhi in Leh on Saturday.

So far, the UT has reported only one death due to the virus.

Since April this year, the UT administration has been evacuating its residents by air and road from various parts of the country and even abroad.

Amid the sudden spike, Leh magistrate Sachin Kumar Vaishya ordered the suspension of public transport in the district to contain the spread of virus. Private vehicles will be allowed to ply as per the odd-even formula. However, essential services have been exempted from this system.

“On every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, vehicles registration numbers ending with odd numbers will be allowed to ply while those ending with even numbers will move on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday,” Vaishya said.

Kargil magistrate Baseer-ulHaq Choudhary has also clamped strict restrictions in the district.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT SUSPENDED IN LEH, ONLY PRIVATE VEHICLES ALLOWED TO PLY AS PER THE ODD-EVEN RULE