Srinagar worst affected, Shopian and Kulgam the least

Anantnag: More than 16,000 people were infected with the novel coronavirus in Kashmir valley in the past one month, while 180 people lost their lives during the same time.
Srinagar district continued to be the worst affected among the ten districts in Kashmir, contributing around 34 percent of the new cases and more than 37 percent of the deaths.
“Since September 8, Srinagar district has witnessed 5,656 new cases of Covid-19, compared to the average of about 1,600 per district in this time period,” a senior official in the administration who is privy to the records on the pandemic told Kashmir Reader.
The total number of cases in Srinagar district crossed the 16k mark during the period September 8 to October 8. “The district also saw the highest number of fatalities, 68, during this month,” the official said.
Srinagar is the most populous district in Kashmir division, but two other districts with more or less the same population – Anantnag and Baramulla – are doing quite well in comparison.
“Anantnag has recorded only 1,063 new cases in the past month, along with 17 fatalities, while Baramulla district witnessed 1,647 cases and 19 deaths. This is much lower than what has been happening in Srinagar,” the official said.
Budgam district, which adjoins Srinagar, presents another dismal picture. The district had low rate of infection to begin with, but in the past 30 days it has witnessed 2,246 new cases of Covid-19.
“It is next only to Srinagar and way higher than Baramulla, which is at the third place,” the official said, adding that Budgam district is also only behind Srinagar in number of deaths, “with 23 fatalities since September 8.”
Good news continues to come from south Kashmir where the twin districts of Shopian and Kulgam have been doing exceptionally well. Both districts recorded only 307 new cases of Covid-19 in the past month.
“Besides, the fatalities in these districts are also very low. Only 6 people have died in the two districts since September 8, three in each district,” the official said.
Of the other districts, Pulwama has recorded 1,242 cases and 12 deaths, Ganderbal 1,246 new cases and 5 deaths, and Bandipora 1,219 fresh cases and 15 deaths.

Suhail A Shah