Existing unlock guidelines to continue till Nov 30
*14-day home quarantine restrictions lifted
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Oct 30: Giving few relaxations in guidelines on lockdown to the general public in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the J&K administration today said that 15,000 pilgrims will be allowed every day to pay obeisance at the cave shrine of Mata Vaishnodevi from November 1, while there will be no requirement for travellers to undergo 14-day home quarantine, whereas, all other unlock guidelines shall continue to remain in force till November 30, 2020.
Earlier, only 7,000 pilgrims were allowed to visit Mata Vaishnodevi shrine due to Covid-19 restrictions.
In a Fresh Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the administration said, ” in exercise of powers conferred under the Disaster Management Act, the State Executive Committee today ordered that the guidelines and instructions issued vide Order No. 84-JK-(DMRRR) of 2020 dated 08-10-2020, shall continue to remain valid till 30.11.2020, subject to some modifications that instead of a ceiling of 7000, the upper limit for permissible number of pilgrims to Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine, Katra, shall be 15000, with effect from November Ist, 2020. ”
It is pertinent to mention here that Mata Vaishnodevi shrine located in Trikuta hills was reopened on August 16, 2020 after a gap of nearly five months due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Initially, the administration imposed a cap of 2,000 pilgrims daily, including 100 from outside Jammu and Kashmir.
The Shrine Board officials said that the registration of pilgrims will continue to be done online to avoid people’s gathering at the yatra registration counters.
They said accommodation facilities of the board at the Bhawan, Adhkuwari, Katra and Jammu are open for the pilgrims, following all prescribed SOPs.
All other additional facilities arranged by the Shrine Board such as battery-operated vehicles, passenger ropeway and helicopter services are also operating smoothly by strictly following social distancing norms and other precautionary measures, the officials said.
Free community kitchen facilities at Tarakote Marg and the Prasad Kendra at Sanjichhat, besides Bhojanalayas along the track and in the Bhawan, have also been operationalised for the pilgrims, they added.
A senior official said that the Union Home Secretary in his capacity as Chairperson, National Executive Committee (NEC), has issued guidelines for implementation of the extended lockdown in Containment Zones (Red Zones) till November 30 and continuation of unlock guidelines outside Containment Zones ( Red Zones). He said except two modifications, all other protocol/ instructions shall continue to remain same.
Regarding, relaxation to the travellers whether they enter J&K by road from Lakhanpur, by train or by air, they will have to undergo Covid-19 test or produce the test report they are carrying with them from their place of origin with negative result.
Earlier, as per existing SOPs, there were instructions for every traveller, irrespective of their test reports to go for home isolation for 14 days. But now from November Ist onwards, this restriction of 14 days home quarantine has been lifted. However, those entering J&K and detected Corona positive by the official teams, shall have to go for mandatory isolation for 14 days as per existing guidelines, the official maintained.
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