Pulwama second-worst district, but situation in Anantnag, Baramulla improving

Anantnag: Since the beginning of this month, Srinagar district has been reporting more than 5 times the number of cases that Anantnag and Baramulla, the only two districts which come close to Srinagar in terms of population, have.
Srinagar is also contributing nearly 30 percent of the Covid-19 cases reported in all ten districts of Kashmir valley in the same time frame. Between August 1 and 10, the ten districts of Kashmir recorded 5,008 cases of the novel coronavirus, of which 1,485 were from Srinagar.
“This amounts to 29.65 percent of the total,” an official privy to the Covid-19 records told Kashmir Reader. “Srinagar’s cumulative tally has already crossed the 6k mark,” he added.
No other district, the official said, comes even close to Srinagar’s tally of positive cases this month.
“Comparing the data of the first ten days of August, the next worst hit is Pulwama district in south Kashmir with 378 cases,” the official said.
Though the number in Pulwama district looks small in comparison to Srinagar, it is worrying if the population is kept in consideration. Pulwama district has less than half the population (5.6 lakh) than of Srinagar (12.4 lakh).
Besides, Pulwama district has surpassed other three districts of south Kashmir in the overall tally of positive cases.
“In fact, it has become the third worst hit district after Srinagar and Baramulla, with a total of 1,860 cases thus far,” the official said.
Srinagar is the most populous district of Kashmir valley. However, not far behind are Anantnag and Baramulla districts with a population of 10.8 lakh and 10.1 lakh, respectively.
“Despite having more or less the same population as Srinagar, the two districts seem to be doing well this month. Anantnag recorded only 271 positive cases between August 1 and 10 while Baramulla recorded 276 cases,” the official said.
The overall tally of these two districts was 2,178 and 1,569, in that order, till August 10.
There is also respite in Kulgam and Shopian districts which were severely hit in the initial days. They have shown some promise of a flattening curve in the first ten days of August.
The twin districts have recorded the least number of cases across Kashmir valley since August 1.
“Kulgam has recorded only 109 cases and Shopian district 104 positive cases of the virus in the first ten days of August” the official told Kashmir Reader. “Let’s just pray and hope that the trend continues and other districts follow as well.”

Suhail A Shah