With Kashmir’s rural areas continuing to have a rise in COVID19 cases,  the Jammu and Kashmir government has directed increased testing for earlier detection of cases and better containment.

Over 80 percent of active cases of COVID19 are outside of Srinagar district currently, the highest till date in the Second Wave of COVID19. While Srinagar district, as per data pertaining to 1 June, had 4057 active cases, other districts in Kashmir had 16990 cases. The numbers, a senior epidemiologist said, reflect the spread of cases in other districts while Srinagar “appears to be well past its peak”.

In order to slow down the spread of infection in these areas, the health department has been directed to increase testing.

Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo said that testing and contact tracing were being focused on in many districts of Kashmir. He said that Anantnag, Baramulla and Budgam were having a high positivity and active cases. “We have passed the directions to officials in these districts,” he said.

In the second wave, COVID19 cases have risen dramatically across Kashmir, IBNS reported. 

As per official information, Srinagar district has the highest per million cases – nearly 53000. While Bandipora, Shopian, Baramulla and Pulwama have had around 20,000 cases per million, Ganderbal has witnessed more than 29,000 cases per million. Kupwara district has reported the lowest cases per million in Kashmir, with about 14,000 cases per million. District Jammu has recorded 33,000 cases per million in the pandemic.

The J&K government  said that over 600,000 doses of vaccine were expected to be available in June and that vaccination would be expedited across age groups.(SAM)