As Covid-19 cases shoot up, J&K govt declares weekend lockdown

Pointing out that there is a need for additional measures besides continuing with the existing Covid-containment steps in all districts in view of the uneven trend observed in daily Covid-19 cases as well as the rising positivity rate, the government ordered continuation of night curfew in all districts from 9pm to 6am.

Stressing on making all efforts to reduce the rate of transmission within Jammu and Kashmir through active involvement of community leaders, market associations and federations, it asked all government departments, offices to minimise conducting in-person meetings.

It also asked education institutions including schools, colleges, polytechnics, ITIs and coaching centres for civil services/engineering/NEET to adopt online medium of teaching, saying that “there shall be no in-person teaching”. The educational institutions can call fully vaccinated staff for only administrative purposes, it added.

Reiterating that the maximum number of people permitted to attend any indoor or outdoor gathering shall be restricted to 25 and allowing the banquet halls in all districts to have gatherings of up to 25 vaccinated persons (with verifiable RT-PCR or RAT not older than 72 hours) or 25 per cent of their authorised capacity (whichever is less), preferably in open spaces, it permitted cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes, restaurants, clubs, gymnasiums and swimming pools to function at 25 per cent of their authorised capacity with due precautions.

Pointing out that the night curfew shall continue to remain in force in all districts from 9pm to 6am, it asked the deputy commissioners to intensify testing and ensure full utilisation of available RT-PCR and RAT capacities. “There shall be no drop in testing levels,” the government said. “Intensified measures related to Covid-19 management and restriction of activities shall be undertaken in these blocks,” it added, while permitting the entry of people into the UT who are fully vaccinated, or have verifiable RT-PCR report not older than 72 hours, or are found negative for Covid-19 following their on-spot Rapid Antigen Test on arrival.

The daily number of fresh Covid-19 cases rose from 169, including 101 in Kashmir and 68 Jammu division, on January 1 to 3,251 on January 15. Of these, Kashmir reported 2,122 cases and Jammu 1,129.

With this, the total number of active cases in the UT rose to 12,860, according to the daily health bulletin issued here. It said that against the availability of 4,794 dedicated level 1 and level 2 Covid-19 beds, only 293 (6.1 per cent) were occupied.

As per reports, the police across the Jammu division have started enforcing the weekend lockdown by laying barbed wires on roads, among others.