Srinagar, July 23: A 53-year-old, an employee of Jal Shakti Department, died of covid-19, taking the fatality count due the virus in Jammu and Kashmir to 279. A resident of Nawa Kadal area of Srinagar, the quinquagenarian died at SKIMS Soura, officials said. With these deaths, 259 people in Kashmir and 20 in Jammu have died so far due to the covid-19. Srinagar district with 75 deaths has the highest fatalities followed by Baramulla (58), Kulgam (26), 19 each in Shopian and Anantnag, Budgam (20), fifteen each in Pulwama and Kupwara, Jammu(12), Bandipora (7), Ganderbal (5), two each in Rajouri and Doda and one each in Poonch, Udhampur, and Kathua.