By Sheikh QayoomA

Jammu, Mar 28 (IANS): Two more persons from Rajouri district of J&K have tested positive raising the number of COVID-19 patients to 18 in the union territory.

Late last evening, Rohit Kansal, spokesman of J&K government posted on his twitter page, "As we end the day, two more positive cases confirmed -both from Rajouri District. One a family member of yesterday's confirmed case, the other has a contact history with a confirmed (now deceased) case."

With this the number of coronavirus patients has risen to 18 in J&K out of whom six are being treated in Jammu and 12 in Valley hospitals.

Out of these, one person has died while one has been successfully treated.

Authorities are battling hard to ensure that people observe the 21-day long national lockdown so that the scourge does not explode through community infection.

11 hospitals and 3,400 beds have already been exclusively earmarked in J&K to fight the virus.