Suhail Khan
Srinagar, June 08 :As the administration has issued fresh guidelines and instructions for regulating activities within Jammu and Kashmir Union territory from today for effective containment of Covid-19, the Divisional commissioner Kashmir Monday appealed people to follow the fresh advisory and work wearing all-time Mask and maintain social distancing.
“People must follow recent advisory issued vide government order no 61 of Sunday. Eight valley districts continue to be RED. Only persons of age 10-60 are to go out of home for very necessary work,” Divisional commission Kashmir P K Pole told news agency.
He also said that people must wear all-time mask and should maintain social distancing.
In view of the abrupt spike in the number of coronavirus cases, the government Sunday declared eight districts in Kashmir and one in Jammu as red zones.
The administration also issued a modified quarantine procedure under which certain sections of people traveling from outside would be allowed to go for home quarantine.
According to the fresh guidelines and instruction order issued by the Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam, who is also the chairperson, state Executive committee, said that all the SOPs and instructions issued earlier in this regard or in the Sunday’s order shall be deemed to have been extended till the validity of this order or modified otherwise. Any deviation from this order shall attract penal action under Disaster Management Act, 2005, the order said.
According to the fresh standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the lockdown restrictions, Religious places will continue to remain closed in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir.
However, the UT administration has allowed the opening of barber shops, saloons and parlours in J&K. “Restaurants will start functioning from June 8 but only for home delivery and “take-aways”. Malls will be opened and hotels also, but with 50 per cent capacity.
While mini-buses, called as matadors, will operate on roads with 50 per cent capacity, buses will move with 67 per cent capacity in orange and green zones on the notified routes only. Only UT-owned State Roadways Transport Corporation buses will be allowed to operate in the red zones”.
The UT administration had decided to continue the ban on the inter-state or inter-province movement except for those having passes.
Meanwhile the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Srinagar held a comprehensive review of situation and decided to continue the lockdown till further orders.
Only minor exemptions have been allowed.
The DDMA order reads that restrictions notified in previous order dated 31 May 2020 shall continue till further orders and extensions granted therein shall remain applicable subject to condition of adherence to SOPs. “The only exemption in today’s order is allowing home delivery by restaurants only after certificate of training issues, permission and testing of service delivery staff done. Pertinently the DDMA has trained the restaurant staff recently and conducted COVID tests as well”.
The only other exemption is plying of SRTC busss with 50% seat capacity. Srinagar has been notified as Red Zone district by Govt in today’s notification.
DDMA also directed Magistrates and SHOs to initiate strict action in case of violation of orders issued for mandatory wearing of mask in public places and violation of physical distancing norms at public places including all establishments. Fine of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 shall be recorded respectively apart from initiating proceedings against defaulters under Section 51 of Disaster Management Act.
District administration is also continuously holding conferences with religious heads and local committees to educate the people for precautions with focus on staying at home unless necessary to move out and wearing mask and maintain physical distance at public places.
Meanwhile DDMA has appealed the poeple to observe the safety norms at public places as well at home especially hygiene to avoid spread of COVID-19. It took a serious note of large scale movement of persons and vehicles creating a serious challenge for enforcement, and called for cooperation by public.(KINS)
