Anantnag: With active cases of Covid coming down to the lowest level in more than five months, 17 out of the 25 dedicated hospitals in Kashmir have fallen empty now and only 55 people remain hospitalised for the infection.

The hospital bed occupancy rate has come down to 1.6 percent from 2.4 percent at the beginning of this month. “The daily numbers have been coming down rapidly and so has the number of active positive patients,” an official, privy to data on Covid-19, told Kashmir Reader.

As of August 18, Kashmir valley has only 659 people actively positive for the Covid infection, lower than the 829 on the corresponding date in the month of March. “Which essentially means that we have the lowest active cases now since the beginning of the second wave,” the official said.

The administration in Kashmir has dedicated 25 hospitals to treat Covid patients, with a total capacity of 3353 beds, including 279 ICU beds. As of August 18, only 53 patients remain hospitalised, almost all at Srinagar hospitals.

“Only 4 out of these patients are admitted at Government Medical College, Baramulla. The rest are admitted to hospitals in Srinagar, leaving 17 hospitals without any Covid patients,” the official said, adding that only three patients are on ventilation – 2 on invasive ventilation in SMHS hospital and 1 on non-invasive ventilation in SKIMS, Soura.

The numbers depict a huge departure from the thick of the second wave. On June 1, there were 21047 active positive cases in Kashmir valley, while 1342 of the total 2853 beds remained occupied.

“22 of the 24 dedicated hospitals were bustling with Covid patients, back on June 1,” the official said. Another heartening thing, the official said, was the recovery rate which has shot up to 98.5 percent now from just 87 percent on June 1.

Besides, the daily tally of Covid positive patients has remained in two digits, throughout the month of August, falling to even 45 at one point. The official said that this was the time to remain cautious and prepare for the next wave.

“As we have seen across the world, another wave is inevitable and we should take this slump in numbers to our advantage and prepare better for whatever is to come,” the official said.

So far, 2,240 people have lost their lives to the pandemic in 10 districts of south Kashmir.

Suhail A Shah