J&K FORMALLY ANNOUNCES CLOSE DOWN

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Sunday formally announced closure of all establishments and services across the Union Territory till March 31 in an effort to limit the spread of deadly novel cononavirus. However, 16 services and commodities have been declared as essential and exempted from the shutdown. These include supply and sale of groceries, fresh fruits and vegetables, gasoline, milk and milk products, medicines and other pharmaceuticals, cooking gas (LPG) and cattle feed and fodder. Also banks and ATMs, health services, manufacturing of health and medical equipment, telecom services, newspapers, post offices, electricity and potable water supplies and municipal and sanitary services.

Meanwhile, Kashmir Valley remained under virtual lockdown on the third and capital Srinagar and the towns of Budgam and Pulwama on the fourth consecutive day on Sunday with J&K police and Central armed forces enforcing a strict curfew or curfewlike restrictions. In Jammu region of the UT, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s, ‘Janata Curfew’ call was obeyed by vast majority of population and official agencies turning cities and towns into ‘ghost towns’.

J&K has, so far, reported four-three in Jammu and one in the Valley and Ladakh thirteen positive cases of Covid-19 but no deaths. Updating the tally, an official spokesman in Jammu said on Sunday that as many as 3,938 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance.