Strict Coronavirus-induced lockdown imposed in southern Kashmir’s Pulwama
The Government has already designated 23 hospitals as COVID-19 dedicated hospitals which include 15 in the Kashmir division and eight in the Jammu division.
SRINAGAR (J&K) —
Strict restrictions remained imposed on Sunday on the movement of people in Pulwama district and other parts of Kashmir valley as part of a 34-hour-long ‘Corona curfew’ announced by the administration amid the unabated rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the Union Territory of J&K.
The Government on Saturday designated 23 hospitals as COVID-19 dedicated hospitals which includes 15 in Kashmir division and eight in Jammu division.
In District Hospital Pulwama, which was excluded from the list of COVID-19 dedicated hospitals, quite a few COVID-19 patients are being treated. However, there are reports that more hospitals, including District Hospital Pulwama, will be added to the list if the surge in the cases continues.
While talking to Digpu News, Naib Tehsildar Pulwama, Mohammad Ramzan Magray said that the Corona curfew is being imposed in the district strictly. “However, there are certain exigencies, emergencies and essential services which are allowed for facilitating the people. Also, a public awareness campaign is being run to spread awareness among the masses.”
Meanwhile, shops and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the roads in the summer capital, Srinagar, and other parts of the valley, where government forces have closed all the roads by barbed wires and barricades to stop the movement of people.
All the roads and market places, including Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital, have been sealed with authorities seeking cooperation from the public to curtail the spread of COVID-19 by strictly adhering to the 34-hour-long curfew.
However, officials said essential service and medical emergencies have been kept out of the ambit of restrictions and would be allowed to move after proper verification.
They said police vehicles, fitted with public address system, were directed to ask people to remain indoors in the city in view of the imposition of strict restrictions to curtail the spread of Coronavirus.
Reports of similar restrictions were coming from other parts of the valley, including Sopore, Baramulla, Kupwara in north and Anantnag, Kulgam, and Shopian in south Kashmir.
Business and other activities were also crippled in central Kashmir districts of Budgam and Ganderbal, where roads have been closed with barbed wires in most parts to prevent the movement of both vehicles and people.
It is pertinent to mention here that 2030 new positive cases of novel Coronavirus, including 834 from the Jammu division and 1196 from the Kashmir division, were reported on Saturday. 15 people, including eight from Kashmir and seven from Jammu, lost their lives to the virus on Saturday.
The Divisional Administration Kashmir has already started tele–Psychiatric and Psychological services to dispel off stress, fear, and anxiety among the people during the ongoing pandemic.
For more information on COVID-19, visit the WHO Website.
