COVID CASES CONTINUE TO RISE IN LEH AMID EASING OF RESTRICTIONS

While the authorities in the Union Territory of Ladakh have partially eased the restrictions from Monday, new positive cases of Covid-19 continue to soar with 90 more cases reported.

Leh town and the adjacent villages have still some restrictions in place while the Covid care hospitals have discharged about 200 patients after the treatment in Leh, Ladakh in the past 24 hours.

Leh is reeling under the tragedies due to the Covid deaths as the union territory of Ladakh so far has recorded 197 coronavirus-related deaths and among them 143 deaths in Leh district alone.

During the second wave of the pandemic, Leh town remained under the impact of Covid-19 infection and even among the new positive cases majority of them are being reported from Leh alone.

Officials on Friday said that among the fresh 90 Covid positive cases 77 have been reported from Leh and 13 from the Kargil district. Leh witnessed a surge in the covid positive cases as hundreds of labourers were transported in early March for different developmental work and many of them tested positive during the routine testing conducted by the health officials of the area.

Union Territory of Ladakh has huge tourist potential and in the past few years, there has been a complete dip in the tourist arrivals partly due to Covid-19 infection and partly because of the standoff with the Chinese army on LAC.

The administration is expecting some tourist trickle to Ladakh in the current summer and with the result while easing the restrictions they have allowed the opening of hotels and restaurants from Monday but only with 30% of seat capacity.