As the COVID-19 situation is worsening, the ‘corona curfew’ remained imposed in Kashmir even as no Friday prayers were held at main mosques.
The public movement was restricted as most of the roads were barricaded temporary by the police in Srinagar and elsewhere. However, medical emergencies, essential services and media men exempted from the restrictions.
Majority of the people remained confined to their homes even as streets wore a deserted look. The shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the roads in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir where security forces have closed majority of the roads by the barbed wire
and barricades to stop the movement of people.
The administration is allowing grocery shops, milk and dairy product shops, fruit and vegetable mandi, bakery and meat shops to function between 0900 hrs and 1800 hrs even during the lockdown.
Chemist shops, LPG/petrol pumps, ATM, media, FCI, e-Commerce, construction activities, Covid-19 vaccination, inter-state movement are also allowed during the lockdown.
Sources however said that grocery, milk, vegetable and fruit shops were allowed to function only in the morning on Friday.
All the roads and market places, including Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital, remained sealed to prevent movement of people.
Sources said that there were no Friday prayers at main mosques in Kashmir that included historic Jamia Masjid and Hazratbal shrine.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration earlier this week extended the ongoing ‘corona curfew’ for the third successive time since April 29 in four districts including Srinagar, Baramulla, Budgam and Jammu till May 10.