COVID-19: 12 non-locals among 25 more test positive in Valley

SRINAGAR — 25 more people including 12 non-locals tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Kashmir on Monday while two minor COVID-19 positive sisters were discharged from JLNM Hospital here.

They said twelve of the positive cases were confirmed from SKIMS lab and included nine from Bandipora and three from Baramulla. The other thirteen cases were confirmed at CD Hospital lab and include 12 non-local residents from New Delhi, Gujarat and Kerala. The other is a resident of Kulgam.

Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said that 12 among the 13 who tested positive were already put under quarantine. “They are religious preachers from Delhi, Gujarat and Kerala and were already under quarantine,” DC said.

With these cases, the officially confirmed tally stands at 270—49 in Jammu and 222 in Kashmir.

Four people have died due to the deadly infection in J&K while eight others—three in Jammu and five from Kashmir divisions including two minor sisters from Natipora Srinagar have recovered and have been discharged, leaving the active cases in Kashmir to 213 and 45 in Jammu.

Meanwhile, the first two COVID-19 positive children were discharged from JLNM Hospital Rainawari here.

The sisters—7-year-old and three and a half year-old—were discharged along with their mother who was COVID-19 negative but was staying with her daughters. “The repeat samples of both the children and of the mother came negative for COVID-19 today,” officials said.

Principal Secretary, Information and Government spokesman termed it as a “Great News”. “Mubarak to the families and gratitude to the entire medical team,” he tweeted.

The children from Natipora had come in contact with their grandfather who had arrived from Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah and tested positive for COVID-19.

The man had shared the same flight as that of the Kashmir’s first COVID-19 patient – a 67-year-old woman from Srinagar’s Khanyar area – who was discharged from SKIMS Soura.