J-K witnesses drop in active COVID-19 cases for first time

Jammu and Kashmir saw a drop in the number of active COVID-19 cases on Tuesday as 14 patients were discharged from hospitals and only eight fresh cases were detected in the Union Territory, officials said.

The total number of novel coronavirus cases now stand at 278, they said.

"For now our luck seems to be holding!!! Eight new cases, 14 recoveries. New cases -- six from Kashmir and two from Jammu division. Fourteen recoveries, all from Kashmir. Total cases now 278," Government spokesman Rohit Kansal said on Twitter.

Earlier in the day, officials said 14 patients were discharged from hospitals in Kashmir and sent to home quarantine as per the standard operating procedure.

With this the total number of patients who have recovered in the Union Territory has gone up to 20, while four patients died due to the infection.

There are now 258 active cases in Jammu and Kashmir, a drop of two cases compared to 260 on Monday.

This is for the first time that the number of active COVID-19 cases in the Union territory has decreased, the officials said.

Meanwhile, two fresh cases were reported in the neighbouring Union Territory of Ladakh, taking the total positive cases there to 16.

"We had two fresh cases detected today --one each from Leh and Kargil. The number of active cases in ladakh now is five as 11 patients have already recovered," an official of the Ladakh COVID control room said.