COVID curfew continues in Kashmir; no letup in deaths, fresh positive cases

Srinagar, May 16 (UNI) Majority of the people remained confined to their homes as strict restriction continued for the 18th successive day on Sunday in Kashmir valley due to COVID curfew that has been extended by another week till May 24 to curtail the spread of COVID-19 infection and deaths.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday prolonged the ‘COVID curfew’ by another week till May 24 in all 20 districts in the Union Territory. This was the fourth successive extension of COVID curfew in the valley since April 29. The extension in the lockdown in the UT has come in the backdrop of unabated rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in J&K, particularly the summer capital, Srinagar, which has recorded the major chunk of positive cases during the last over a month.

The UT reported 63 deaths, including 26 from Kashmir and 37 from Jammu, due to COVID on Saturday, when 3,677 new positive cases of novel Coronavirus were recorded.

Meanwhile, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) has alleged that the official figures of coronavirus deaths are being ‘underestimated’ in the valley. “The official figures of Covid-19 deaths are an underestimate as many deaths due to the virus go unreported in the valley. Only those deaths make it to the official count that has been confirmed as Covid-19 through RT-PCR testing. But the test can miss more than 30 per cent of positive cases,” DAK president and influenza expert Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan said.

The DAK president said that many Covid deaths are hidden among other diseases and alleged that many patients with heart or lung disease die of Covid, but their death is attributed to their underlying condition.

Streets wore a deserted look on Sunday as shops and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the roads in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir valley, where security forces have closed majority of the roads with barbed wires and barricades to stop the movement of people.

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 established 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 emergency 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.

Reports of similar 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 establishment were closed and road 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 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.

On April 29, the Jammu and Kashmir administration imposed curfew in 11 districts to curtail the spread of COVID-19, which was subsequently extended to all the 20 districts in the Union Territory the next day. The curfew that was supposed to end on May 3 was extended in Srinagar, Budgam, Baramulla and Jammu till May 6. However, the Deputy Commissioners of the remaining seven districts in the valley extended the lockdown till May 6 separately. The COVID curfew was later extended till May 10 and then till May 17.

The administration last month ordered the closure of all universities, colleges, schools, and coaching centres in the Union Territory till May 15 though teaching and non-teaching staff was asked to attend schools and colleges. But, the J&K administration later allowed teaching and non-teaching staff to stay home in view of a surge in COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir. The closure of the educational institutes was last week extended till May 30.

Teachers, however, are conducting online classes from home in the valley though many students alleged that they were unable to attend these classes due to non-availability of smart phones. The decision to allow teachers to take online classes from their respective homes was taken after many teaching and non teaching staff members of government schools tested positive for the virus in the Union Territory.

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