Anantnag: Anantnag district in south Kashmir has been showing a consistent decline in the number of positive Covid-19 cases for last at least five straight days even as doctors and officials say the guard must not be lowered.
On April 16, the district saw first Covid-19 patient much later than rest of three districts in south Kashmir. However, for the next fortnight, there was a surge in cases with Anantnag recording 123 patients.
“By May 2, we had already touched a hundred cases. It was partly because of aggressive contact tracing and testing but it was still a cause of concern,” a senior official in the district administration told Kashmir Reader.
May 3 was no different for the district as 10 more people were found positive for Coronavirus.
“But the curve has seemed to be flattening since May 4 as only 14 cases were reported,” the official said.
Of them, according to the official data, 11 were reported on May 6 while the rest of the seven days witnessed only 3 cases including one each on May 5, May 7 and May 10.
“In the last five days we have had only two positive cases reported. The best part is we get reports of more than 120 people on an average per day. Like on May 9, all 153 reports received were negative,” the official said, adding that the trend was promising in the wake of surge in the initial days , “But we should not get complacent. Now is the time to remain all the more vigilant.”
There have been a few recoveries in the district as well. Out of the 123 reported positive, 12 have recovered and tested negative for the virus.
The mortality has been on the lower side as well in the district with only one death reported so far. A woman pregnant with twins was tested positive after her death, due to alleged medical negligence at MC Hospital of the district.
Additional District Magistrate Anantnag, Syed Yasir, also acknowledged the slowing trend in the district.
“With 12 recoveries so far, and very few occasional cases for last few days, the trend has been arrested in the district,” he said, adding that, let us be hopeful without lowering our guard.

Suhail A Shah