Weekend lock down in Jammu and Kashmir as cases surge

Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir India January 16 ANI Amid the surge in COVID 19 cases, the Jammu and Kashmir administration imposed a weekend lock down and said that night curfew will continue in all districts from 9 pm -- 6 pm with complete restrictions on non-essential movement in the Union Territory.

Night curfew will continue from 9 pm -- 6 am with a complete restriction on non-essential movement. The order states that there will be a complete restriction on non-essential movement during weekends in entire Jammu and Kashmir.

The decision was taken on Friday by the State Executive Committee SEC chaired by Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta to review the COVID situation.

The order states that the district magistrates of the districts of Jammu and Kashmir will take a zero tolerance policy towards non-compliance of COVID Appropriate Behaviour CAB and shall take action against defaulters under relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act, Epidemic Act, and the India Penal Code.

The indoor and outdoor gatherings will be restricted to 25 people, followed by the gathering of up to 25 vaccinated people in banquet halls or 25 per cent of the authorised capacity. People need to show RT-PCR reports in the Banquet halls, which should not be older than 72 hours.

Cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes, restaurants, clubs, gymnasiums, and swimming will function with only 25 per cent of the authorized capacity.

The educational institutes have been allowed to use online mediums of teaching, while only vaccinated staff can attend institutions for administrative purposes.

The Chief Secretary also directed the divisional and district administrations to ensure the fool-proof enforcement of all COVID protocols and the SOPs, stressing that Omicron is more virulent than the delta variant.

He ordered a mass scale awareness campaign to promote district COVID helpline numbers, established for medical assistance over the telephone.

The Chief Secretary also called for the re-activation of the block-level COVID medical grid to allow isolation facilities at Panchayat level, primary medical assistance at primary health care centres, and referral to district and tertiary healthcare facilities in cases of emergencies.

The District magistrate chairperson, DDMAs, will create as many Micro Containment Zones as necessary and as per situation demand on the ground, keeping in view the spike in cases, it said.

The district administration was directed to increase the number of tests including RTPCR and to expedite identification, isolation, and micro-containment of the infections.

If passengers arriving into the union territory are asymptomatic, they don't need to undergo RT-PCR or rapid antigen COVID test on arrival if they have an equivalent final certificate of COVID 19 vaccinations or a valid RT-PCR COVID negative report taken within 72 hours, it said.

The symptomatic incoming passengers will be screened by air rail road.

The interstate movement of passengers will be allowed if a fully vaccinated certificate or test reports are not 72 hours late.

The administration also stressed on the importance of speeding up the vaccination drive in the 15 -- 17 age category, which is currently at 40 per cent.

The vaccine is expected to be completed within a week, according to the officials.