Public transport banned in Srinagar, KU suspends all activities to combat Coronavirus

Srinagar, Mar 19 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday banned all types of public transport — including buses, mini buses, maxi cabs and three-wheelers — in this summer capital with immediate effect till further orders.

The order was issued hours after a woman was tested positive for Coronavirus in Srinagar, making here the first person to be infected by the disease in Kashmir valley.

Meanwhile, Kashmir University (KU) has suspended all academic and administrative activities across all its campuses till March 28 in view of coronavirus scare.

Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu on Thursday said that he met with representatives of all transport unions and associations, who assured him of full support in implementing the ban on public transport in the city.

“To mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, It is hereby ordered that no Bus Service/ Mini Bus Service/Maxi Cab Service/Auto Passenger Service shall ply in District Srinagar with immediate effect till further orders,” an order issued by Regional Transport Officer, Kashmir, said.

“Further, no public transport shall enter District Srinagar from the North, South, or central District of Kashmir Division,” the order added.

An official of Kashmir University said that all the interviews scheduled up to March 31 have been postponed while new dates will be notified later separately.

He said the KU has postponed all MPhil, PhD viva voce examinations scheduled till March 31. “Wherever postponement of MPhil, PhD viva voce examination is unavoidable, same may be conducted through Skype and no outside expert be invited to University upto March 31,” he said.

However, he said the employees associated with essential services like electricity, water works, sanitation and hygiene, landscape maintenance, health centre and proctoral watch and ward wing have been asked to continue to report to their duties. “Employees associated with the finance and account wing, including officers of the Dean Research of the University, shall also continue to report to their duties in view of closure of the financial year 2019-20,” he said.

“Met with representatives of all transport unions and associations in Srinagar. They have volunteered to help with enforcement of every advisory. Public transport has been called off the roads – formal orders have been issued by the RTO, Kashmir to this effect,” Mattu twitted.

J&K administration spokesperson Rohit Kansal on Wednesday said first positive case was detected from Khanyar, Srinagar. “History of foreign travel. Arrived on 16/3/2020. Put in Isolation. Surveillance started in 300m area. Request all to cooperate. Also Immediately self report any symptoms,” Mr Kansal wrote on twitter.