Jammu: For the first time in the past seven months, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed no Covid related death even as 121 fresh cases were recorded across the UT, taking the tally of positive cases to 122,885.Official sources said that last time it was on June 12, when no Covid-related death was reported in J&K.”On Wednesday, it is after a gap of almost seven months that past 24 hours passed without any Covid related causality,” an official said.However, Jammu and Kashmir today received the first batch of Covid-19 vaccine (Covishield) from Serum Institute of India, Pune.As many as 1,46,500 doses of Covishield vaccine have been received out of which 79,000 are for Kashmir division and 67,500 are for Jammu division.The vaccine is being stored at the Divisional cold chain stores at Jammu and Kashmir divisions from where it will be distributed to all the Districts maintaining the cold chain at all levels.Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr Samir Mattoo and Dr Qazi Haroon, State Immunization Officer, J&K received the vaccine at Divisional Vaccine store at Barzulla, Srinagar in Kashmir while as Dr Renu Sharma, Director Health Services Jammu/ Director Family Welfare, J&K received the vaccine at Divisional vaccine store, DHS Jammu.Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Atal Dulloo has said that the vaccine will be sent to all the districts and immunization points across J&K.He informed that the vaccines will be ferried to far flung areas which are cut off due to heavy snowfall with the help of choppers, so that all the healthcare workers are vaccinated even in the most difficult and inaccessible areas of J&K.The vaccination drive will start from January 16 all across the UT.Meanwhile of the exact number of 122,885 positive cases, 71,952 are from Kashmir and 50,933 from Jammu division.An official said that among 121 new cases, 66 belong to Kashmir division while as 55 are from Jammu division, adding that the total number of positive cases in Kashmir division have reached to 71,952 including 69,936 recoveries and 1,200 deaths while as total number of positive cases in Jammu division have reached to 50,933 including 49,408 recoveries and 712 deaths.He added said that total number of active cases in Jammu and Kashmir are 1,629 including 816 from Kashmir division and 813 from Jammu division.With 174 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 119,344 which is 97.10 percent of the total cases.Till date 973732 persons have been enlisted for observation which included 32891persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 1629 in isolation and 36032 in home surveillance.Besides, 901268 persons have completed their surveillance period.In Jammu and Kashmir 5 lakh vaccines are expected to reach. The vaccine will be given to frontline workers in the first phase.Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will start the shot of vaccination from the Government Medical College Jammu.In Jammu and Kashmir, vaccination preparations are in full swing. A review of the preparations is being done in various hospitals. A drive was also conducted at Gandhinagar Hospital on Tuesday.The government has set up control rooms at various levels for vaccination of Covid 19 vaccine.
