Strict restrictions on movement and assembly of people continued to curtail the spread of Coronavirus in Kashmir valley, where dozens of persons were arrested on Thursday to violate lockdown order while majority of the locals are voluntary staying indoors as the number of infected is going up rapidly.
With 20 more persons, including 19 from Kashmir and one from Jammu, testing positive for Coronavirus on Thursday, the total number of infected people has swelled to 427 in the Union Territory of J&K.
Meanwhile, the ASHA workers have been asked to prepare list of pregnant women and test them for COVID-19 before referring to maternity hospital in Kashmir valley, where authorities have directed for the early resumption of various works to be carried out under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to kick-start the rural economy, besides providing monetary relief to scores of daily wage workers.
Officials told UNI that restrictions continued for the 35th successive day to combat the spread of COVID-19 in Kashmir valley. “Main roads in most places in the valley remained sealed while barriers were erected at other places to check unwanted movement of people,” they said, adding all roads leading to areas, which were declared as ‘Red Zones’ after several COVID-19 positive cases surfaced from there, also remained sealed.
They said 16 people were arrested while 10 shops were seals and as vehicles seized in Srinagar. “As many as 49 vehicles were seized in central Kashmir district of Ganderbal for violating the lockdown order,” they said, adding 36 vehicles were seized in Awantipora during the ladt 24 hours.
They said over 100 people were arrested for violation the order in Handwara in north Kashmir district of Kupwara.
“Private Hospitals, Diagnostic Centers and other health institutions have been directed to start normal functioning within a week and warned that any institution found violating the directions regarding the essential services rules, will be strictly dealt with under relevant laws,” they added.
Shops and business establishments remained closed while streets were deserted due to strict restrictions imposed by authorities to curtail the spread of Coronavirus in the valley.
The streets in uptown and civil lines were deserted as shops and business establishment were closed and traffic was off the roads. Security forces were deployed in these areas, where people alleged that security personnel were not allowing them to move out of their houses. Similar situation was witnessed in downtown, where people also alleged that they were not allowed to move out of their houses even to buy groceries and vegetables.
Similar reports of lockdown were received from other parts of the valley, including Kupwara and Baramulla in north, Budagm and Ganderbal in central and Anantnag, Pulwama Kulgam in south Kashmir.
Bandipora is the worst COVID-19 hit district in the Union Territory of J&K with about 100 positive cases and one death. Of these, over 36 per cent of positive cases have been reported from Dangerpora in Bandipora, prompting authorities to put about 150 people in hospital and administrative quarantine. The rest of the people from Dangerpora have been put in home quarantine.
Earlier this month, a 54-year-old Bandipora resident, who was tested positive for the infection, died at SMHS hospital. Later on April 8, a 61-year-old woman from Udhampur died at Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu. A 70-year-old patient died on April 17 due to Coronavirus in Kashmir valley.