Nearly 75 per cent of over 2,400 cases in Jammu and Kashmir were recorded last month—the sharpest surge in Covid-19 positive cases in the Union Territory (UT).

The authorities are concerned because some districts of Jammu and Kashmir—which had, earlier, no positive case or had shown a 100 per cent recovery rate—have also reported a sharp rise in active positive cases in the month of May.

Of all positive cases, nearly 1,100 travellers, who entered J&K via trains, buses or flights, have been tested positive so far.

“On May 1, the total number of positive cases in J&K was 639 persons including 384 active positive, 247 recoveries and eight deaths. Out of this, there were only 58 positive cases in Jammu division and 581 cases in Kashmir Valley,” a Health Department official said.

With a sharp surge, the number of positive cases has gone up to 2,446 including 503 in Jammu region and 1943 in Kashmir Valley—1,807 cases in May month alone.

J&K had reported its first positive case in Jammu, on March 8, and it has reported 639 cases in 54 days till April 30.

“The maximum cases have been reported in South Kashmir’s four districts where a total of 686 persons tested positive last month, while the number of persons tested positive in central Kashmir’s three districts is 296 and 378 in North Kashmir. In Jammu region, as many as 110 cases have been reported in Jammu district in May followed by 92 cases in Ramban and 72 active cases in Kathua.

“On May 1, there was no active positive case in Jammu district as all 26 patients had recovered while there was only one active positive case each in Ramban and Kathua districts at that time,” the officials said.

“The number of positive cases has gone up with the evacuation of J&K residents from other states but it should be attributed to aggressive testing and contact tracing that has prevented further spread of the virus. On May 1, only 21,695 tests were conducted while the number of such tests went up to 1,71,045—an increase of 688 per cent in a month,” the officials said.