Covid mapping data shows the signs
Abrar A. Mattoo
SRINAGAR, Aug 13: way before the second wave of Covid-19 started to recede, the experts had predicted that the third wave of Coronavirus might arrive around the month of August in India.
Subsequently, like the rest of the places in the country, especially the southern parts of India, Jammu and Kashmir too has started to witness a rise in the Covid-19 cases.
In the last week of July 2021, people in Jammu and Kashmir were left in relative peace by the Coronavirus. The daily positive cases had started to recede, and sometimes none or only one-to-two deaths were reported on a daily basis during the week.
However, compared to the last week of July 2021, both the active cases and deaths resulting from covid-19 have doubled in the second week of August 2021. On 23 July, only 63 positive cases were reported, while today, that number has reached to 129. Though, the number may seem harmless at the moment but given the domino tendency of the virus and serious contingency rate of the new variants like Delta, the situation might soon turn into an unstoppable juggernaut.
In the last week of July 2021, the total active positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir were ranging from 1100-to-1200, but this number has reached 1200-1300 in first and second weeks of August.
According to the data on Covid-19 on 13-08-2021, at total reported cases of 10,004, the district Ganderbal has also become the twelfth district to enter the club of 12 districts that have crossed the number of ten-thousand total cases. Amongst the districts, Kishtwar has the lowest total reported cases at 4697 amongst the twenty districts of the union territory. While Srinagar, with fifteen times more cases than Kishtwar, is the unbeatable champion on the list at 71759 total recorded cases since the pandemic.
Pertinently, travelers are appearing to be the significant contributors of District Reasi’s covid-19 caseload. Yesterday, the district reported 73 positive cases, and surprisingly, all were travelers.
“The travelers are a serious threat at the moment. With tourists coming from all the places of the country, J-and-K may witness a rise in covid-19 cases. The situation may seem harmless at its present stage, but we have observed that this a negative trajectory that may be leading us towards the third wave. The experts have already predicted that August would be the month when the third wave hits, and we need to be careful since the data as well is showing the signs in this regard,” Adil Bashir, an official involved in Covid mapping in the department of remote sensing J&K said while talking to Kashmir Despatch.
Since the period of Muharram has started, and if turns out the covid-19 appropriate behavior is being flaunted during the religious processions of Shia Muslims in the union-territory, the coronavirus may take a far dire trajectory in the coming weeks.
Its important to note, the religious processions of the Shia Muslims had been outlawed during last year’s Muharram period, while as this year, the authorities have requested the Shia community to observe the Muharram with covid-19 appropriate behavior.
