![A man being sampled for COVID-19 at Srinagar's TRC. [Aman Farooq for Greater Kashmir]](https://gumlet.assettype.com/greaterkashmir%2Fimport%2F2021%2F03%2Fcovid-testing-at-trc-11-scaled.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Ajaz Asad on Wednesday ruled out a fresh COVID-19 lockdown in the district while stressing on scaling up the testing facilities and strengthening other related infrastructure in view of spike in the number of infections.
While talking to the media during an inspection of the testing facilities in the city, Asad said that lockdown benefits nobody, given its adverse economic implications.
"We have witnessed how the previous lockdown affected almost every business here especially the lower strata of the society like the labourers and the boatmen," Asad said.
Instead, the district administration will scale up testing facilities and upgrade quarantine centres, even as he also urged the residents aged above 45 years to get themselves vaccinated.
He said that there would be no need for lockdown if people strictly follow the precautionary measures.
Authorities on Tuesday categorised Srinagar district as an 'Orange Zone' in-view of a surge in COVID-19 infections lately.
