For the 10th consecutive day on Saturday, strict Corona curfew restrictions remained imposed across Kashmir to contain unabated rise in COVID-19 related cases and deaths.
On Friday, J&K hit another grim milestone with a record single-day spike of 5443 COVID-19 infections and 50 deaths.
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.
Barring Shopian, the lockdown was extended by the respective Deputy Commissioners of other districts in the valley. ‘The weekend curfew also came into effect from 1900 hrs on Friday till 0700 hrs on Monday,’ an official said.
Majority of the people remained confined to their homes even as streets continued to wear a deserted look on Saturday while shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the roads in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir.
Reports of restrictions were coming from other parts of the valley including Sopore, Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara in north and Shopian, Anantnag, Pulwama and Kulgam in south Kashmir. Shops and business establishments were closed and roads wore a deserted look in these districts, where police parties were patrolling their respective areas to ensure strict implementation of the lockdown.
Business and other activities also remained crippled in central Kashmir districts of Budgam and Ganderbal, where roads have been closed with barbed wires in most parts to prevent movement of vehicles and people.
The security forces have closed majority of the roads with barbed wires and barricades to stop the movement of people. But, reports of violation of lockdown were coming from some areas in the city.
All the roads and market places, including Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital, remained sealed to prevent movement of people. Shops and businesses were closed while all the roads were deserted as traffic and people were off the roads in downtown, civil lines, uptown in Srinagar. But people with emergencies or associated with essential services, including doctors and paramedics, were allowed to move on the roads after proper verification at various checkpoints established by police.