Public transport exempted from curfew in Srinagar
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Apr 29: Kashmir today reported 2134 positive cases highest ever since pandemic while nine persons died in the Valley taking the J&K death toll to 2253.
Two patients who were admitted at JLNM hospital in Srinagar with COVID-19 infection, one in SKIMS Soura, one in GMC Baramulla, two in GMC Anantnag, two in DH Pulwama and one in Chest Diseases hospital Srinagar died today.
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Those who died include a 50-year-old woman from Kulgam district, a 75-year-old woman from Krangsoo area of Anantnag district, a 65-year-old woman from Kulgam district, 68-year-old man from Tenpora Byepass in Batmaloo area of Srinagar district and a 55-year-old woman from Chawalgam area of Kulgam district.
Those who tested positive include 1,017 Srinagar, 429 Baramulla, 268 Budgam, 137 Pulwama, 71 Kupwara, 228 Anantnag, 51 Bandipora, 57 Ganderbal, 181 Kulgam and 11 from Shopian.
As per officials figures, 42,506 positive cases including 527 deaths and 34,027 recoveries are from Srinagar, 12,643 including 197 deaths and 10,237 recoveries are from Baramulla, 10,461 including 9,002 recoveries and 130 deaths are from Budgam, 7,053 including 6,114 recoveries and 101 deaths are from Pulwama, 6,861 including 101 deaths and 5,973 recoveries are from Kupwara, 6,760 including 5,547 recoveries and 108 deaths are from Anantnag, 5,404 cases including 4,975 and 64 deaths are from Bandipora, 5,365 including 4,896 recoveries and 49 deaths are from Ganderbal, 4,191 including 3,041 recoveries and 62 deaths are from Kulgam and 2,955 including 2,677 recoveries and 42 deaths are from Shopian.
The number of cases in Kashmir division has reached 104,199 including 86,489 recoveries and 1,381 deaths.
The number of active cases in Jammu and Kashmir are 26,144 including 16,329 from Kashmir division.
With 1,617 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 142,537 which is 83.54 percent of the total cases.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar; Muhammad Aijaz Asad, today exempted private transport and other essential services from 84 hour Corona curfew that was imposed from this evening.
The DC Srinagar told reporters here that public transport with 50 per cent seating capacity will be allowed to ply during the lockdown period from Thursday evening to Monday morning.
He said the decision to allow public transport to ply has been taken for the people who don’t have their transport and have to reach the hospitals or other related places. “Allowing transport to ply is not an invitation for the people to come out, but the decision was taken for the wellbeing of the people who will have to reach the hospitals or other related places,” he said.
Aijaz said that during the lockdown period, the standalone shops shall remain open while restaurants in the hotels shall remain open for in-house guests only. He also stated that the food to the guests will be served in rooms.
“There shall be no hindrance to the smooth movement of goods and essential supplies, nomads migrating with herds, Darbar move official staff, Agriculture and horticulture goods. Also, there shall be no restriction on inter-state and inter districts movement of essential goods,” he said, adding that the industrial establishments will remain open.
Also, he said there shall be no restriction on the movement of Government officials on production of identity cards, adding that developmental construction works will continue while necessary measures will be taken in this regard.
The DC said that the vaccination drive will also continue normally at designated Centres. However, he said that all shopping complexes, saloons, restaurants, gyms, bars and parks shall remain closed.
He said that the religious and social gatherings such as marriages attended by 50 persons only whether indoor or outdoor is permissible. He also said that in funerals, only 20 people will be allowed to participate. “I appeal to the people to stay indoors,” he said.
About spike in COVID-19 cases in the district, the DC said that Srinagar being the capital is being visited by people from other places, thus witness a huge rush, which is why the cases are higher in the district as compared to other places.
He said imposing curbs and following Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) should not be considered as a punishment. “All these measures are being taken in the interests of the people and are need of the hour. Lockdown at this juncture is imperative to break the transmission chain”, he added.
Valley faces shortage
of Covishield
Kashmir is facing acute shortage of Covishield vaccine and at the same time demand for it has grown manifold after a spike in the COVID-19 positive cases for the last few weeks in the region.
“Vaccine is out of stock. Please confirm after 5 days”, says a handwritten board outside the Health Centre in Jawahar Nagar in district Srinagar.
An official said that it was necessitated as large numbers of people were coming to the centre for vaccination daily and they had limited doses available.
A Health official at another Health Centre in Srinagar said that they were receiving 2000 doses of Covishield daily but for last over a week it has come down and at the same time demand has increased manifold. “We now receive only 400-500 doses as there is shortage of vaccine. Today, we had no vaccine and large numbers of people came to the centre but we can’t help”, he said.
Altaf Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar, has been making rounds of several vaccination centres in Srinagar for last couple of days to get himself, his mother and wife vaccinated but there is no vaccine available. “I went to couple of Health centres for last two days to get vaccinated but there is no vaccine”, he said.
In Kupwara, a Health official said they were receiving 8000 doses of vaccine daily for the district and now it has come down to 2000 only. “Today we didn’t receive a single dose”, he said.
A Health official in Sopore said that they were getting 1000 doses daily but for last one week they are getting 500 only.
A Health official in Budgam district said that each block in the district was getting around 1000 vaccines daily but for last few weeks it has come down to 400-500 doses. “Earlier the response of the people towards vaccine was poor but now people in large numbers are reporting to Health centre but we have shortage of vaccine”, he added.
A Health official at Anantnag district hospital said that they are getting 200-300 doses on daily basis as per requirement.
Director General Family Welfare Dr Saleem Ur Rehma told Excelsior that there is no shortage of vaccine in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that they are getting one lakh doses either daily or on alternate days. “We get as per the utility and so far we have administered 23 lakh doses and presently we have 2 lakh doses available”, he said.
Dr Saleem said that demand for the vaccine has grown for last few weeks and that is why people complain of shortage. “Initially, we had to take help from Police, Administration and Imams to convince people for vaccination. They were not turning up. In Srinagar we were vaccinating only 500 people per day. Now 20, 000 are coming forward daily”, he said.
The DG further said that they have given a requisition of 1.24 crore doses for the age group of 18-44. “These doses will start arriving from May 15 and we will start vaccination of this age group as well”, he added.
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