One more COVID-19 fatality in J&K, death toll reaches 22

A 63-year-old man died of coronavirus at a private hospital here, taking the death toll due to the disease in Jammu region to three and to 22 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

The man, a lawyer by profession, had undergone a test for COVID-19 and its 'positive' result was received after his death at the Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Science (ASCOMS) Hospital here due to multiple complications on Sunday, the officials said.

“We had the first coronavirus-related death. The deceased had comorbidities also and was admitted to the hospital on May 22,” Medical Superintendent, ASCOMS, Dr Rabinder Rattanpal told PTI.

He said the hospital had taken all necessary precautions during the treatment of the patient and had collected his sample for coronavirus testing after admission.

“We received the report hours after his death on Sunday night and the set protocol is being followed to hand over his body to the concerned,” he said.

Earlier, a 72-year-old man was also tested positive for coronavirus shortly after his death in Jammu on May 13. On April 9, a 61-year-old woman from Udhampur district died of the novel virus.

The Kashmir Valley accounted for the rest of the 19 coronavirus-related deaths with the highest number of six deaths in Srinagar followed by four each in Anantnag and Baramulla districts, two each in Kulgam and Budgam districts and one in Bandipora district.

A total of 1,621 positive cases were reported across Jammu and Kashmir including 1,360 in the Valley and 261 in Jammu region till Sunday evening. Among them, 809 patients have recovered.