Coronavirus | J&K reimposes lockdown till July 28

Activities related to agriculture, horticulture and construction will continue while movement of goods carriers, LPG and oil tankers shall continue unhindered.

As Jammu and Kashmir’s COVID-19 cases crossed the 15,000 mark, the J&K administration on Wednesday decided to re-impose a strict lockdown across Kashmir up to July 28.

A government spokesperson announced “a complete lockdown in all red districts, excluding Bandipora, of the Kashmir division from today [Wednesday] evening till 6 a.m. of July 27.”

He added that activities related to agriculture, horticulture and construction will continue in accordance with the DMRR (Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction) guidelines. “The movement of goods carriers, LPG and oil tankers [are] to continue unhindered,” he added.

The lockdown comes a day after 608 new positive cases of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus were reported — 106 from the Jammu division and 502 from the Kashmir division — taking the total number of positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir to 15,258.

“Out of 15,258 positive cases, 6,540 are active positive cases and 8,455 have recovered,” the official said.

At least 263 people have died due to COVID-19 in J&K so far.

Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar has the highest number of positive cases at 3,283, of which 1,961 are active positive. At 69 deaths, Srinagar has also recorded the highest number of deaths in J&K so far.