Curfew-like restrictions were imposed on Wednesday in Kashmir parts to stop the spread of Covid-19 infections even as the number of daily cases and fatalities continue to rise in Kashmir.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir P K Pole Wednesday said there won't be any relaxation on Eid-ul-Fitr eve given the rise in COVID-19 infection cases.
“There won't be any sort of relaxation on Eid eve in Kashmir,” he said, adding that Covid 19 does stop on any special occasion.
Streets wore a deserted look on Wednesday across Kashmir as shops and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the roads in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir valley, where security forces have closed the majority of the roads with barbed wires and barricades to stop the movement of people.
Officials said that restrictions were tightened on Wednesday in view of the huge rush of Eid shoppers on Tuesday, when massive traffic jams were witnessed at several places in Srinagar and other parts of the valley.
In view of the violation on Tuesday, the Srinagar administration withdrew the provision of partially permissible activities -- including opening of shops selling vegetables, fruits, grocery, meat, chicken and milk -- from 0800 hrs to 1200 hrs in the city till further orders.
All the roads and market places, including Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital, remained sealed to prevent movement of people. Shops and businesses established were closed while all the roads were deserted as traffic and people were off the roads in downtown, civil lines, uptown in Srinagar. But, people with emergency or associated with essential services, including doctors and paramedics, were allowed to move on the roads after proper verification at various checkpoints established by police.
In some areas in downtown, civil lines and Srinagar outskirts banks were also not allowed to function after heavy rush of people was witnessed on Tuesday. However, people could be seen queued up in large numbers, without adhering to social distancing, outside banks and ATMs to withdraw money in uptown Srinagar.
An official said that movement of government officials is being facilitated through a pass system from Wednesday. “All Heads of Departments (HODs) were requested to place requisition for passes immediately,” he added.
Meanwhile, reports were received from some areas that media persons were also not allowed to move on the roads by police. However, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar intervened and directed security forces deployed on the ground to treat identity cards of media persons as curfew pass. Police has also established helpline numbers to facilitate movement of doctors and paramedics.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration last week extended the 'COVID curfew', which was scheduled to end on Monday, till May 17 in all 20 districts of the Union Territory. Eid-ul-Fitr, the culmination of the holy fasting month of Ramazan, also falls within the extended corona curfew period.
However, essential services were exempted from the lockdown in the valley, where 672 people were fined while 156 others were arrested on Tuesday for violating COVID curfew and other guidelines imposed by the administration to curtail the spread of the virus.
The extension in the lockdown in the UT has come in the backdrop of an unabated rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in J&K, particularly the summer capital, Srinagar, which has recorded the major chunk of positive cases during the last about 30 days. Srinagar alone, out of 4352 new Covid-19 cases in J&K, reported 846 cases on Tuesday followed by Jammu with 602 cases. Of the 65 deaths recorded on Tuesday in the UT, 24 were from Kashmir and 41 from Jammu.
Reports of similar restrictions were coming from other parts of the valley, including Sopore, Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara in north and Shopian, Anantnag, Pulwama and Kulgam in south Kashmir. Shops and business establishment were closed and road wore a deserted look in these districts, where police parties were patrolling their respective areas to ensure strict implementation of the lockdown.
Officials said that all the shop that were permitted to operate between 0800 hrs to 1200 hrs will now be allowed to function between 1630 hrs and 1900 hrs in north Kashmir district of Baramulla.
Business and other activities remained crippled in central Kashmir districts of Budgam and Ganderbal, where roads have been closed with barbed wires in most parts to prevent movement of vehicles and people.
On April 29, the Jammu and Kashmir administration imposed curfew in 11 districts to curtail the spread of COVID-19, which was subsequently extended to all the 20 districts in the Union Territory the next day. The curfew that was supposed to end on May 3 was extended in Srinagar, Budgam, Baramulla and Jammu till May 6. However, the Deputy Commissioners of the remaining seven districts in the valley extended the lockdown till May 6 separately. The COVID curfew was later extended till May 10 and then till May 17.
The administration last month ordered the closure of all universities, colleges, schools, and coaching centres in the Union Territory till May 15 though teaching and non-teaching staff was asked to attend schools and colleges. But, the J&K administration later allowed teaching and non-teaching staff to stay home in view of a surge in COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir. The closure of the educational institutes was last week extended till May 30.