Srinagar
Curfew-like restrictions continued for the ninth consecutive day in Kashmir on Friday to stop the movement of people in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus which has infected more than two lakh people and killed thousands of people across the world.
The markets across all districts of Kashmir valley remained closed and roads also remained blocked with concertina wires and manned by the police. Most mosques and shrines were shut to avoid large gatherings for congregational prayers.
The lockdown began on Thursday, a day after the first case tested positive in Srinagar. Only the people associated with essential services were allowed to move after checking their identity cards.
Educational institutions across Kashmir have already been closed, while all public places including gymnasiums, parks, clubs and restaurants have been shut down.
Most of the mosques and shrines across the valley were closed on the appeal of the administration to avoid large gatherings for congregational prayers on Friday, said the reports.
On Tuesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a national lockdown from midnight on March 24 for 21 days.
“From 12 midnight, the whole country will go on lockdown. To save India, to save all citizens of India, to save you and your family, there will be a total ban on stepping out of home,” he had said.
A total of fourteen persons have tested positive in Jammu and Kashmir. While the first case of COVID19 in Kashmir, a female came to fore on March 18; in Jammu, three cases had tested positive a week earlier. In the past three days, 10 new cases have surfaced, nine in Kashmir and one in Jammu. In Kashmir, three males tested positive on Tuesday, four cases surfaced on Wednesday, and two more on Thursday. In Jammu, today’s was the first positive case after 17 March.
According to the daily Media Bulletin on novel coronavirus (COVID-19), 3053 persons have been kept under home quarantine, including at facilities operated by the Government, while as 117 are in hospital quarantine.
Persons who are under home surveillance stand at 1761 while as 551 persons have completed their 28-day surveillance period.
Further, the Bulletin said that 379 samples have been sent for testing, of which 341 tested as negative and 13 cases have tested positive of which one recovered and one died. It said that reports of 25 cases are awaited till March 26, 2020.
Now spread to 196 countries across the world, the number of active COVID-19 cases in the country stood at 640, while 66 people were either cured or discharged and one had migrated. The total number of 724 cases included 47 foreign nationals. Italy has doubled its toll in comparison to China wherefrom the virus was first reported.
