KO File Pic Abid Bhat
Srinagar Listed In Orange Category
Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir State Executive Committee (SEC) on Saturday put five districts in the red zone category as it issued revised guidelines for effective containment of COVID-19 in the J&K.
Srinagar and Jammu besides other remaining districts in J&K have been in the orange zone, Chief Secretary and Chairperson SEC B V R Subrahmanyam said in an order.
Jammu and Kashmir, which is presently under lockdown, recorded 2252 fresh Covid-19 cases on weekend, taking the tally to 286684, while 46 more people succumbed to the virus which raised the toll to 3841.
Srinagar was earlier placed under Red Zone being the worst affected district of J&K by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of late, the summer capital has been recording fewer cases as well as deaths compared to previously.
Issuing the fresh categorisation of districts after a detailed review of the Covid-19 situation, the SEC order said five districts—Pulwama, Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam and Kupwara— have been put in the red category along with Lakhanpur—the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir bordering Punjab with a buffer of 500 metre radius –and the areas on either side of the Jawahar Tunnel—along the Jammu-Srinagar highway.
While the rest of the districts have been placed in the orange zone, the order said that the classification was meant for the purpose of implementation of permitted activities with the red category district facing more restrictions.
“This classification of the districts will be reviewed periodically and any further modification will be made by the government,” the order added.
The classification of districts by the SEC comes a day after Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; P K Pole told Kashmir Observer that the decision to ease lockdown will be taken shortly.
“The government is working to unlock Kashmir and the decision regarding the same will be taken shortly,” he had said.
He had further said that the competent authority will assess the situation and take a call on phased unlocking, including days of relaxation and the activities to be allowed.
The Valley is under a strict lockdown for a month following the second wave of deadly virus that has claimed over 3800 lives.
Partial restrictions to contain the Covid were imposed on 27 April and a complete curfew was imposed in Kashmir on 29 April.
Last Saturday, the Jammu and Kashmir administration extended the curfew, which was supposed to end on May 23, by another week till May 31 in all 20 districts of the Union Territory amid no letup in the number of fresh coronavirus cases and deaths.
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