Jammu, July 4: The Jammu and Kashmir government has lifted the weekend Covid curfew from 13 out of the Union Territory’s 20 districts with six more districts given the relaxation on Sunday.
The weekend curfew has already been lifted from seven districts earlier, and now from Poonch, Rajouri, Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam, and Pulwama. Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, who is also the Chairperson of State Executive Committee, ordered the relaxations after a review meeting on the current Covid situation with the Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education, the Principal Secretary, Home, the Divisional Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and other officers.
While weekend curfew has been withdrawn in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Budgam, Ganderbal, Pulwama, and Shopian, daily night curfew in these and seven remaining districts will continue from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m.
The government has also permitted all outdoor shops to open on all days, from 7 a.m. till 7 p.m.
The market associations will have to fully cooperate with the local administration in ensuring strict compliance to Covid appropriate behavior, says Sunday’s order.
All shops in the indoor shopping complexes and malls can open only for the consumers who are vaccinated or for customers with negative RT-PCR or RAT report of 48 hours prior.
The shop owners/managers/staff will have to ensure compliance. The District Magistrates have been asked to strictly enforce these measures.
Restaurants and bars can open for in-dining at 50 per cent of its total capacity, only for the customers who are vaccinated or are carrying a negative RT-PCR or RAT report of 48 hours prior. The owners /saff /managers of the establishments will have to ensure compliance.
“Indoor sports complexes have been also permitted to open at 50 per cent of its total capacity for persons vaccinated/persons with valid negative report for Covid. “Swimming pools will, however, continue to remain closed. Public Parks are permitted to open only for the vaccinated public,” the order said. In respect of other 7 districts, weekend curfew from Friday 8 p.m. till Monday 7 a.m. and daily night curfew from 8 p.m.till 7 a.m.shall continue to remain in force.
All outdoor shops and bazaars are permitted to open on five days in a week (except on Saturdays and Sundays).
However, they will have to compulsorily undergo a Covid-19 antigen test through any of the prescribed methods as per the protocol of the government.
The protocol for management of Covid positive persons will be followed for all positive cases.
The travellers carrying valid and verifiable negative RT-PCR report of 48 hours prior from a recognized testing facility (a copy of which shall be retained by authorities) will be permitted to enter without having to undergo a re-test at the entry point. Any false certificate shall render a person liable for action under law.
This shall also apply to the pilgrims coming for Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Katra.