The Friday prayers remained suspended across J&K today due to COVID19 lockdown. This was the 10th straight Friday sans group prayers.
“. . . no (Friday) congregational prayers reported from anywhere in Jammu and Kashmir.#StayHome #StaySafe,” police said in a tweet.
Most of the masjids and shrines across the valley including those in Srinagar City continue to remain closed for large gatherings on the appeal of the administration, which has also been supported by the masjid committees.
Soon after COVID-19 outbreak in the last week of March, the administration had formally ordered the closure of all religious places and appealed to the management committees and all residents to cooperate.
Sources said that roads across the valley remained dotted with barbed wire and contingents of police and paramilitary forces checking the movement of the people.
This was the tenth consecutive Friday when there were no congregational prayers in masjids and shrines across valley.
Since Friday morning, Police vehicles fitted with public address systems made announcements in the residential areas in the city and elsewhere in the valley that restrictions under section 144 CrPC were in place and urged people to stay indoors.
The markets across the valley were shut and public transport was off the roads with only few pharmacies and grocery shops remaining open.
The roads wore a deserted look as only employees performing emergency nature of duties are allowed to move.
Restrictions were first imposed in many parts of the valley on March 20 to contain the spread of the virus. The measures were taken after a 67-year-old woman from the Khanyar area of the city, who had returned from Saudi Arabia on March 16 after performing Umrah, tested positive for COVID19.