Srinagar: A 65-year-old man hailing from Hyderpora area of the city died on Thursday, becoming the first fatality in Jammu and Kashmir due to coronavirus.
“As we share the sad news of our first #Covid19 fatality, my heart goes out to the family of the deceased. We stand with you and share your grief,” Mayor of Srinagar Junaid Azim Mattu tweeted.
Government spokesperson Rohit Kansal also confirmed the death via Twitter.
“First death due to Coronavirus- 65 years old Male from Hyderpora Srinagar. Four of his contacts also tested positive yesterday,” Kansal said.
Meanwhile, two siblings, both minors, were tested positive for coronavirus in Kashmir on Thursday, taking the number of cases to 13 in the entire UT of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
“Two more positive cases in Srinagar. Siblings (seven-years-old and eight-months-old)… Total number of active positive cases is now at 11,” government spokesperson Rohit Kansal tweeted.
The eight-month-old might be the youngest to be infected with COVID-19 in the country.
He said they are the grandchildren of a person who had tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday in Srinagar and had a travel history to Saudi Arabia.
Also, a patient from Rajouri district of Jammu was tested positive for COVID-19.
Kansal confirmed the news on his twitter handle: “#COVID19 #JammuAndKashmir Another positive case reported just now; patient from Rajouri district of Jammu province. History of close contact with (now deceased) positive case @diprjk @HealthMedicalE1 @MoHFW_INDIA.”
With these three, the total number of positive cases in the valley has gone up to 10 and in the union territory to 14.
As per a government bulletin on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir, as many as 5,124 travellers and people who came in contact with suspected and positive cases have been put under surveillance.
Among them 3,061 are in home quarantine (including facilities operated by the government), 80 in hospital quarantine and 1,477 in home surveillance.
Restrictions on movement imposed in Kashmir to prevent the spread of coronavirus were tightened on Wednesday.
