Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Apr 20: Strict restrictions on movement and assembly of people to curtail the spread of Coronavirus continued even as people in Kashmir preferred to stay indoors in view of rapid increase in the number of infected cases that has crossed 300-mark on Monday.
Restrictions remain imposed in Kashmir since March 18 to combat the spread of COVID-19 in Kashmir. Main roads in most places in the Valley remained sealed while barriers were erected at other places to check unwanted movement of people.
All roads leading to areas, which were declared as ‘Red Zones’ after several COVID-19 positive cases surfaced from there, also remained sealed.
Bandipora is the worst COVID-19 hit district in the Union Territory of J&K with about 90 positive cases and one death. Of these, over 36 per cent of positive cases have been reported from Dangerpora in Bandipora, prompting authorities to put about 150 people in hospital and administrative quarantine. The rest of the people from Dangerpora have been put in home quarantine.
Officials said that 80 “Red Zones” were identified in Kashmir division and that such areas will remain red zones up to 42 days, unless no new positive case of COVID-19 is detected. “If any new case is detected in these areas, then from that date, the area will again remain a red zone for another 42 days,” they added.
Shops and business establishments remained closed while streets were deserted due to strict restrictions imposed by authorities to curtail the spread of Coronavirus in the Valley.
The streets in uptown and civil lines were deserted as shops and business establishment were closed and traffic was off the roads. Security forces were deployed in these areas, where people alleged that security personnel were not allowing them to move out of their houses.
Similar situation was witnessed in downtown, where people also alleged that they were not allowed to move out of their houses even to buy groceries and vegetables.
The main roads in downtown and SeK remained closed with barbed wires at Nawa Kadal, Rajouri Kadal, Kawdara and Khanyar. Similar road blocks remained erected by security forces at Nowhatta, Rangar stop and Gojwara.
Similar reports of lockdown were received from other parts of the valley, including Kupwara and Baramulla in north, Budagm and Ganderbal in central and Anantnag, Pulwama Kulgam in south Kashmir.
