On first day of school reopening 32 students test positive for Covid in Rajouri

At least 32 students of a private educational institution in the Thanamandi area of Rajouri tested positive for Covid on Monday, said, officials.

The school was reopened on Monday and a team of health departments had visited there for sampling. Rajouri CMO Dr. Shamim Bhati said none of the students had severe symptoms.

“They are being isolated, but the parents are reluctant to send them to Covid care center. The administration is trying to convince them. The students belong to small villages and hamlets in the nearby areas,” she added.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir recorded 117 fresh coronavirus cases on Monday. Of the total, 62 cases were reported in Kashmir while the Jammu division saw 55 infections.

The number of patients who were cured in the UT was 118 with active cases reaching 1,513. Chief secretary Arun Kumar Mehta said the administration is expecting 100% vaccination of the 18+ age group by October.

“Tourists and people associated with the travel industry are already 90% vaccinated. Our effort is to enhance tourism and at the same time control Covid spread,” he added.

Srinagar district has the highest number of active cases at 666 followed by Baramulla and Budgam districts with 173 and 145 such cases, respectively.

Officials said with 33 cases, Srinagar had the highest number of new infections followed by 40 cases in Rajouri. As many as 18 other districts had no or single-digit cases.

Mehta said that Srinagar’s Covid figures are coming down. “A few days ago, Srinagar figures were on the higher side, which has now again come under control. We are trying to bring it down to even more manageable level,” he added.

The overall number of people who have recovered reached 3,23,190, prompting the recovery rate to climb up to 98.19%. Since the pandemic started, the total cases in J&K have reached 3,29,125 and the death toll stands at 4,422.