24 new COVID-19 cases detected in Jammu and Kashmir

Twenty-four new COVID-19 cases were detected in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, taking the total number of infected persons to 184, government spokesman Rohit Kansal said.

The total number of posases in the Union Territory has risen to 184, out of which 152 are in Kashmir and 32 in Jammu, he said.

"Twenty-four new cases were detected today in Jammu and Kashmir," Kansal said, adding that all the fresh cases were contacts of the already positive patients.

"The increase in detection of positive cases in the Union Territory is a result of aggressive testing," he said.

The number of positive cases has been steadily increasing in the valley over the past one week.

While four patients have died in Jammu and Kashmir, six have recovered, officials said.

The officials said aggressive contact tracing of the new cases has been started while some new areas have been declared red zones in Srinagar following the detection of fresh cases.

More than 37,000 people have been kept under surveillance, including 9,200 who are either in government established quarantine facilities or home isolation, they said.