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Weekend curfew lifted in 16 out of 20 J&K districts
Curbs were lifted after significant improvement in the Covid situation in Jammu division’s Kishtwar and Ramban and Kashmir’s Kulgam
Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday lifted the weekend curfew from three more districts taking the total districts where restrictions have been largely removed to 16.
The curbs were lifted after significant improvement in the Covid situation in Jammu division’s Kishtwar and Ramban and Kashmir’s Kulgam.
Earlier last week, businesses were opened throughout the week during the daytime in 13 districts – seven districts in Kashmir and six in Jammu division.
Officials observed that there has been significant improvement in these 16 districts (out of the 20 districts of the UT) in terms of total weekly cases, positivity rate, bed occupancy, case fatality rate and vaccination coverage.
“There will be no weekend curfew in these districts. However, the daily night curfew will continue from 8pm to 7am,” said an order by chairperson, state executive committee (SEC) and chief secretary, Arun Kumar Mehta.
The order said that all outdoor shops and traders are permitted to open in these districts on all days from 7am to 7pm.
Restaurants and bars can open for dine-in facility from 7am till 10pm at 50% capacity only for customers who are vaccinated or have an RT-PCR or RAT report done in the past 48 hours. “Paid public parks are also permitted to open only for the vaccinated public,” the order said.
“All the outdoor shops and bazaars are permitted to open on five days in a week except on Saturdays and Sundays. 50% of the shops in indoor shopping complexes and malls can open subject to a roster to be issued by DCs concerned,” the SEC ordered.
All schools, colleges and universities in J&K will continue to remain closed for in person education till July 31.
The DCs have been asked to focus on the positivity rate in their respective medical blocks particularly in 10 specific blocks.
“It has been noticed that four blocks in Kashmir division and six in Jammu have shown positivity rate higher than 2% in the past week. Strict measured related to Covid-appropriate behaviour and opening of activities have to be taken by DCs in these blocks,” the order said.
224 test positive in UT
J&K on Sunday recorded one Covid-related death and 224 fresh infections.
The number of patients who were cured in the UT was 349 with active positive cases dropping to 3,002.
There were 150 cases and one death in Kashmir valley. The Jammu division saw 74 infections. On Saturday, the UT had witnessed 185 cases.
The overall number of people who have recovered reached 3,11,334 prompting the recovery rate to climb to 97.69%.
Since the pandemic started, the overall cases in J&K have reached 3,18,693 and the death toll has hit 4,357.
Officials said with 53 cases , Srinagar had the highest number of new infections followed by 23 each in Pulwama and Doda. Ten districts had no or single-digit cases.
The Jammu district has the highest number of 1,138 fatalities followed by Srinagar with 832 deaths.
After the most devastating month of May, the month of June reported 25,197 cases and 416 deaths related to the disease.
