Shops shut, public transport off road as fresh curbs kick in
No movement of people, except in medical emergencies, essential services allowed
SRINAGAR: Strict restrictions were imposed in most parts of Kashmir on Thursday, a day after the Union territory administration announced a complete lockdown across the Valley, except for Bandipora district, to contain the spread of Covid-19.
The six-day complete lockdown in the Valley came into effect on Wednesday evening following a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the last three weeks.
Though north Kashmir’s Bandipore district was exempted from the lockdown, officials were enforcing strict standard operating procedures (SoP’s) there. Two districts, Ganderbal and Bandipore, had the least number of positive cases. Bandipore has reported 483 positive cases and seven deaths and Ganderbal has reported 307 cases and five deaths, while Srinagar has reported 3,084 cases and 71 deaths. There are 2,126 active cases in the capital city.
Since morning, the police were seen enforcing the lockdown stringently. Only those with valid curfew passes were allowed to move, vehicles were also not allowed to ply . At many places, people were turned away and the entry points to Srinagar were completely sealed.
No movement of people, except in medical emergencies and essential services, was being allowed across the Valley. Authorities sealed most of the roads and market places in all Red districts, including Srinagar, and placed concertina wires and barriers on the roads to stop public movement.
Shops, fuel stations and other business establishments were shut and public transport was off the roads.
In rural districts, the lockdown was enforced strictly and the police were stopping vehicles at different places checking the cards of passengers.
Shabir Ahmad, a resident of Narbal, said, “I was on my way to the hospital to attend a patient. However, I was stopped at seven places and only allowed to pass when the police were satisfied that I had a valid reason to be out on the road.’’
Abdul Qayoom, who had come from Pulwama, was turned away from Panthachowk when he could not show the pass to the officials on duty.
The city centre was completely sealed and there was no movement of traffic on the roads, however, only government vehicles were seen plying.
The number of people infected by novel Coronavirus crossed 15,711 on Wednesday evening in 146 days since the first cases were reported on March 9. Fifty percent of these patients (7,761 cases) were reported in July.
Officials said restrictions will be in place till the morning of July 27. The lockdown comes days ahead of the Eid-ul-Zuha festival, which will be celebrated on August 1.