Army Colonel, 24 in GGM, 22 IIM, 6 in University infected
Permission to exhibitions, fairs in Jammu withdrawn
555 test +ve in Valley, all incomers to be tested at Lower Munda
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU/SRINAGAR/ LEH, Apr 8: With no let up in renewed surge in Coronavirus cases, the Jammu and Kashmir Government today ordered imposition of night curfew in eight districts of the Union Territory from tomorrow while the Health Department and GMC Jammu authorities suspended leave of all employees and the district administration Jammu terminated permissions granted for holding exhibitions and fairs and converted area in and around GGM Science College and Sanskrit University into micro-Containment Zones.
Fresh surge in COVID-19 cases continued with 835 persons testing positive including 555 in Kashmir and 280 in Jammu while the Valley reported one fatality.
An Army Colonel and 24 persons including students putting up in hostel, Chowkidars and others tested positive during Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) at GGM Science College while 22 students and faculty members were found infected at IIM Jammu where Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is scheduled to visit tomorrow. Six students and staff members at Sanskrit University Bhalwal have also tested positive.
The Union Territory Government tonight announced imposition of night curfew in eight districts through two tweets by the Office of Lieutenant Governor J&K Manoj Sinha.
Curfew will, however, be confined to Municipal limits of the Urban Local Bodies of eight districts including Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua, Srinagar, Baramulla, Budgam, Anantnag and Kupwara. District Reasi will, however, remain under close observation for any possible spike in cases.
“Directed the divisional administration to impose Corona curfew from 10 pm to 6 am in urban areas of 8 districts affected by the recent COVID spike. Curfew will be in force in the Municipal limits of Urban Local Bodies of the districts,” the tweets by Office of LG J&K said.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu Raghav Langar said the night curfew restrictions will come into effect from April 9. He said the Deputy Commissioners have been directed to issue separate orders in this regard.
However, he added, the Railway passengers carrying train tickets will be exempted from curfew restrictions.
Another order issued tonight by the State Executive Committee (SEC) Member-Secretary Simrandeep Singh said all District Magistrates will issue orders (for imposition of night Corona curfew) under Section 144 of CrPC.
The SEC order said the night curfew restrictions were based on detailed review of current COVID situation in Jammu and Kashmir conducted with the Financial Commissioner Health, Administrative Secretary School Education, Divisional Commissioners of Jammu/ Kashmir and other officers.
Meanwhile, Director Health Services Jammu Dr Renu Sharma today ordered that no leave will be sanctioned in favour of officers/officials in Jammu division except maternity leave till further orders.
GMC Jammu Principal Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma has ordered cancellation of all kind of leaves (sanctioned/under consideration) of Gazetted as well as non-Gazetted employees of the Government Medical College Jammu and Associated Hospitals with immediate effect except medical/maternity leave.
The medical leave will only be considered after recommendation of the Standing Medical Board, the GMC Principal’s order read.
The district administration Jammu today cancelled all permissions issued for holding exhibitions and fairs immediately.
“The organizers of these exhibitions will wind up their operations within 24 hours,” an order issued by District Magistrate Jammu Anshul Garg said and directed the Sub Divisional Magistrates to ensure compliance of the order.
Through another order, the DM Jammu declared areas in and around GGM Science College, Canal Road and Sanskrit University at Kanger Morh Bhalwal falling under the jurisdictions of Nowabad and Gharota police stations respectively as micro-Containment Zones. The decision was taken after COVID positive cases were reported from GGM Science College and Sanskrit University during past two days.
An Army Colonel who had come to his house on leave at Trikuta Nagar in Jammu has tested positive for COVID-19.
After 30 staff members and students were tested positive for Coronavirus in GGM Science College yesterday, 24 more persons were found infected today. They include two students putting up in the Hostel, Chowkidar of the College and some contacts of yesterday’s positives.
GGM Science College Principal Prof Ravinder Tickoo said the College hostel has also been closed after two students tested positive for the virus today. Sanitization process is on in the entire College premises, he added. Yesterday, 30 staff members and students of the College had tested positive for pathogen.
Twenty two students and faculty members at IIIM Jammu and six at Sanskrit University Bhalwal tested positive for COVID-19. Nearly 200 students, faculty and staff members were subjected to testing at IIIM ahead of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu’s visit tomorrow. All positives have been isolated and their contacts asked to undergo testing.
A total of 280 persons today tested positive for COVID-19 in Jammu region, more than 50 percent of them i.e. 148 in Jammu district alone followed by Reasi 47, Udhampur 35, Kathua 20, Rajouri nine, Samba eight, Doda and Kishtwar four each, Poonch three and Ramban two. Of 47 positive cases in Reasi, 34 were travelers majority of whom were sent back from Katra railway station.
Twenty two persons have recovered from the virus including 14 in Kathua, seven Jammu and one in Doda district.
Jammu region now has 54333 Corona cases. Among them, 1688 are active positives while 51900 have recovered from the virus and there have been 745 casualties in the region.
The casualties include 386 in Jammu district, 64 Doda, 58 Udhampur, 56 Rajouri, 53 Kathua, 41 Samba, 26 Poonch, 23 Ramban, 22 Kishtwar and 16 in Reasi district.
Meanwhile, in order to contain the spread of Coronavirus infection, all incoming travelers coming by road shall undergo testing at Lower Munda in district Kulgam.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Mohammed Aijaz Asad while chairing a meeting to review Covid-19 related situation at TRC said here that the testing will start in a couple of days.
The DC said that mass vaccination of hotel staff, drivers, houseboat staff and others concerned with the tourism sector as frontline workers shall be started across all tourist destinations.
Kashmir today reported spike in COVID-19 cases with 555 testing positive while one person died.
Those who tested positive include 349 from Srinagar, 74 Baramulla, 24 Budgam, 8 Pulwama, 31 Kupwara, 22 Anantnag, 18 Bandipora, 7 Ganderbal, 18 Kulgam and 4 from Shopian.
The number of positive cases in Kashmir division has reached 81,329 including 76,120 recoveries and 1,274 deaths.
The number of active cases in Jammu and Kashmir are 5,623 including 3,935 from Kashmir division.
With 246 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 128,020, which is 94.37 percent of the total cases.
Meanwhile, 91 persons today tested positives for COVID-19 in Ladakh.
The positives include 82 in Leh and nine in Kargil district.
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