Early Times Report
Srinagar, May 2: Even through Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has prolonged ‘COVID curfew’ in three districts in Kashmir on Saturday till May 6, Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of three more districts -- Anantnag, Kulgam and Kupwara -- on Sunday announced extension of the lockdown amid unabated rise in the number of Coronavirus cases and deaths in the valley.
The Lt Governor during a high-level meeting on Saturday had extended lockdown that was ending on Monday morning in four districts of J&K, including Srinagar, Budgam, Baramulla and Jammu, till May 6.
“Anantnag will continue with the existing level of measures, which are in place since April 28. So corona curfew continues till further orders,” DC Anantnag Dr Piyush Singla said.
Similarly, the Deputy Commissioner Kulgam Dr Bilal Bhat said the administration will continue with the existing level of measures, which are in place since April 28 in the district. “So corona curfew would continue till further orders,” he added.
Meanwhile, the DC Kupwara said that the existing level of measures, which are in place since April 30, will continue in the district. “So corona curfew continues till further orders,” he added.
The extension in the lockdown in these districts has come in the backdrop of unabated rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in Kashmir, particularly the summer capital, Srinagar, which has recorded the major chunk of positive cases during the last about a fortnight. Srinagar alone, out of 3832 new COVID-19 cases in J&K, reported 1058 cases on Saturday, while Baramulla recorded 309 cases followed by Jammu with 504 cases, Budgam with 291 cases, Anantnag with 286, Kulgam with 221 and Kupwara with 122 cases. Fresh COVID cases in rest of the districts in Kashmir are in double digits.
The UT administration had imposed corona lockdown from 1900 hrs from Thursday and till 0700 hrs on Monday in Srinagar, Anantnag, Baramulla, Badgam, Kulgam, Pulwama and Ganderbal in Kashmir valley. The lockdown was later extended to the remaining three Kashmir districts -- including Kupwara, Bandipora in north and Shopian in south -- from Friday evening till Monday morning. However, essential services were exempted from the lockdown.
As many as 3832 new positive cases of novel Coronavirus, including 1231 from Jammu division and 2601 from Kashmir division, were reported on Saturday, which recorded the highest single-day spike in deaths with forty seven people, including 17 from Kashmir and 30 from Jammu, losing their lives to the virus.
An official said the Corona curfew at night shall continue in all Municipal / urban local body limits of all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Night curfew will be in force from 2000 hrs to 0700 hrs the next day,” he said.
He said restrictions on assemble of more than five people under section 144 CrPc and other guidelines, including rotational system of opening of shops and public transport plying with only 50 per cent occupancy, will continue in the remaining seven districts in Kashmir, where curfew will be lifted on Monday morning. |
