Essential, emergency to be allowed; markets, commercial institutions to remain closed; Good step to break the chain, more should done: KTMF
SRINAGAR: Spurt in the Covid related deaths and positive cases in the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha led administration Saturday announced imposition of curfew across the UT from 8 pm Saturday to 6 am Monday.
As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a tweet from the Office of the LG read: “Complete corona curfew to be observed in the Union Territory from 8PM, 24th April (Saturday) till 6AM, April 26 (Monday). Essential and emergency services to be allowed. All market, commercial institutions will remain closed.”
The government announcement comes close on the heels of massive surge in the Covid positive cases and also in the mortality rate. On Friday, (April 23), 19 Covid related deaths were reported in the J&K UT since the pandemic outbreak last year.
An official in the UT administration said that the LG Sinha led monitoring committee is closely watching the situation and reviewing the same as well. “Appropriate decisions will be taken as and when needed,” he said. Interestingly, J&K UT Saturday reported yet another big spike of 2030 positive cases and 15 more deaths.
Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Association (KTMF) chairman Muhammad Yasin Khan told KNO that given the highest spurt of positive cases, LG led administration has taken a good step. “This is indeed a step aimed at breaking the chain, but more should be done to step the infection spread as the present step taken by the government is for a shorter period,” he said. In Srinagar, the district administration had already enforced 50 per cent market opening on rotational basis to prevent the covid spread.