In the wake of growing COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor administration on Tuesday decided to impose a night curfew in all municipal and urban local bodies in 20 districts of the Union Territory (UT).
Officials said 2,030 cases, highest single day spike in the past 12 months, were recorded. Eight more people died in the last 24 hours.
“944 of these cases were reported from the Jammu division and 1,086 from the Valley. There were 352 travellers among the fresh cases,” a spokesman said.
Active cases have jumped to 13,470 in the Jammu division and 78,965 in the Valley, he said.
“The ‘Corona Curfew’ at night shall be extended to all municipal and urban local body limits of all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It was already in force in eight districts earlier, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.,” L-G Manoj Sinha said in a message on Twitter.
In partial lockdown, he said, only 50% shops in market complexes, bazaars, malls within the municipal limits and urban local body limits shall be open on an alternate basis through a rotation system.
“Magistrates of all districts shall devise a mechanism to implement this, preferably in consultation with local market associations,” the L-G said.
The fresh measures come as the UT recorded over 1,500 cases on Monday. Six people also died due to the infection in the past 24 hours.
Jammu and Kashmir, like other parts of the country, is witnessing a manifold increase in COVID-19 cases with every passing day.
From just under 100 cases a day being recorded a month ago, the UT is witnessing more than 1,500 cases daily this week and an increase in mortality too. A total of 2,063 have died in the past 12 months.
According to the official figures, there were 12,164 active positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.
