Newscraving Desk:
Srinagar,
The schools in Kashmir which were opened last month could be shut again after the rise in COVID positive cases here.
A large number of schools were closed across the region in past few days after scores of students and teachers tested positive. Of the total number of 200-300 cases which are detected in the region on daily basis, nearly 30 percent are being found at the schools.
On Friday at least four people died across Jammu and Kashmir due to COVID while more than 450 positive cases were also detected. Today 5 people died while more than 517 fresh positive cases were detected across Jammu and Kashmir. Authorities on Saturday asked the deputy commissioners (DCs) to decide on whether to continue running of schools after the rise in COVID cases. Most of the schools in the region don’t adhere to the COVID protocol and students and the teachers are not tested here that has lead to the upsurge in the cases.
Schools in Kashmir could be shut again after rise in COVID cases.
On Tuesday authorities ordered a fresh lock down here and banned the public movement from outside a red zone. The capital city of Srinagar, which remains among the worst hit, was declared as an orange zone and the officers have been asked to ensure social distancing at public places here.
In the red zones, the authorities said that only 50 percent of the shops will be allowed to function from 9 am to 7 pm and 50 percent of the vehicles will be permitted to ply.
Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam, earlier asked the officials also to test the travellers to Kashmir after the rise in COVID cases.
“Jammu and Kashmir would be carrying out a fast-track vaccination drive to cover all persons in the eligible age groups,” he said at a meeting today.
However the opposition has accused the BJP-led government about lack of action. NC spokesman, Imran Nabi Dar, earlier said that the jump in the new COVID-19 infections has “triggered fears among the people about a possible next peak.” “Amid surge in the new cases, the authorities are coming up with diktats like on-spot rapid testing of the people moving without face masks. Such measures will prove least helpful to contain the virus as the government lacks the testing facilities. Such diktats will only put the people to unnecessary duress,” he said.
A harsh lock down was imposed by authorities in March last year after the rise in COVID cases and the police personnel thrashed people for venturing out of their houses that evoked strong protests here.
India and Pakistan have fought four wars over Kashmir and the the two countries were close on the brink of another war after a Kashmiri rebel killed at least 50 paramilitary force personnel in a car-driven explosion on a busy Srinagar-Jammu highway that connects Kashmir with rest of India in 2019.
On 5 August, 2019, India scrapped Kashmir’s semi autonomous status and shut the internet and phone services for months evoking strong protests across the region.