Cases dip by 31% in August in J&K

SRINAGAR: Even though experts were fearful of an early third wave of pandemic, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a 31% drop in Covid-19 cases and 45% decrease in monthly deaths in August as compared to July.

The overall test positivity rate (TPR) – the percentage of tests that turn out to be positive out of the total tests conducted during the period – has also shown a decline while settling at 0.23% in August from July’s 0.32 %. August, however, also saw a 6% decline in average daily tests with 53,359 persons tested daily as against 56,719 in July.

The union territory reported 3,957 infections and 30 deaths in August while in July, it saw 5,800 cases and 55 deaths. In June, the UT had seen 25,197 cases and 416 deaths. Last month, experts had warned that the cases may see a substantial rise by the third week of August as restrictions had been lifted and people were hardly wearing masks.

Prof Dr Mohammad Salim Khan, head of the department of community medicine at Government Medical College, Srinagar, and nodal officer, Covid, said that the situation seems fine as of now. “The current trend is not that scary. Vaccination has certainly augmented our immunities, though not that profoundly. There may be a slight rise but it will be unlike (the intensity of) the second wave,” he said.

Lieutenant governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha on Wednesday said the union territory will open higher educational institutes this month, once all students in the 18-plus group are vaccinated.

Speaking on the sidelines of a function in Srinagar, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said, “Parents have been demanding the reopening of schools and higher educational institutions for some time. These will be reopened this month after all students are vaccinated.”

251 fresh cases, five deaths in Himachal

DHARAMSHALA: Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday recorded 251 fresh Covid-19 infections, taking the state’s tally to 2,13,799 while the death toll mounted to 3,587 after five patients succumbed to the contagion. Of the new cases, 61 were reported in Mandi, 47 in Kangra, 46 in Shimla, 44 in Hamirpur, 17 in Chamba etc,

The active cases have climbed to 1,784