Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday ordered night curfew in the urban areas of eight districts, including Jammu and Srinagar, to check the spread of the soaring coronavirus cases.
The night curfew will come into effect from Friday, Sinha said. In a tweet, Sinha said, “Directed the divisional administration to impose corona curfew from 10pm to 6am in the urban areas of eight districts affected by the recent Covid spike.”
These districts are Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua, Srinagar, Baramulla, Budgam, Anantnag and Kupwara, it said.
The curfew will be in force in the municipal limits of the urban local bodies of these districts. Reasi district will be under close observation for any possible spikes in cases, it added.
835 Covid cases in J&K
The decision comes as J&K recorded 835 new Covid cases on Thursday, taking the UT’s case tally to 1,35,662, health officials said.
The UT also recorded another fresh fatality in Kashmir taking the death toll to 2,019. Of the new cases, 555 are from Kashmir while 280 are from Jammu. Of the day’s cases, 163 are travellers.
Officials said with 349 cases, Srinagar had the highest number of new cases, followed by 148 in Jammu, 74 in Baramulla, 47 in Reasi and 35 in Udhampur. Nine of 20 districts reported single-digit cases.
{{/usCountry}}Officials said with 349 cases, Srinagar had the highest number of new cases, followed by 148 in Jammu, 74 in Baramulla, 47 in Reasi and 35 in Udhampur. Nine of 20 districts reported single-digit cases.
{{/usCountry}}Ahead of V-P Naidu’s visit to IIM Jammu, 19 test positive
A day before vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu is slated to attend the convocation at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu, 19 people, including staff and students, tested positive for Covid on Thursday.
“As many as 180 samples were sent for testing on Wednesday, of which 19 samples came out positive. Of the 19, two were students and the rest were faculty members,” said health officials.
“Those who tested positive were not part of the convocation scheduled to take place here at Convention Centre, Canal Road on Friday,” said the institute’s spokesperson.
Similarly, 10 more people, including some students tested positive at the Government Gandhi Memorial Science College , raising the number of infected to 40. The institution has been shut since Wednesday.
Twenty-three students and seven staff members had tested positive as part of a special drive in the college on Wednesday, prompting the management to close the institute till Monday to allow sanitisation of the building along with the hostel premises.
Naidu will address the third and fourth annual convocation of the IIM. Union minister Jitendra Singh and Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha will be the guests of honour for the event.
In the last three days, 95 people including 82 Vaishno Devi pilgrims have tested Covid positive in Reasi district.
“Out 95 people, 82 were Vaishno Devi pilgrims. They were tested at the Katra Railway Station,” said a health official. However, the pilgrimage remains on.
Himachal logs 622 cases
Himachal Pradesh on Thursday recorded 622 fresh Covid-19 infections taking the state’s case count to 67,512 while death toll mounted to 1,083 after six patients succumbed to the contagion.
Of the new cases, 109 were reported in Kangra, 87 in Shimla, 83 in Una, 68 in Hamirpur, 56 each in Mandi and Sirmaur, 40 in Kullu, 23 in Bilaspur, 17 in Chamba and one in Kinnaur. Active cases have shot up to 4,514.