Schools, Varsities, liquor shops, bars, hotels to remain closed
* J&K overrules Health Ministry order on Zones
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 3: In line with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines, the Jammu and Kashmir Government today gave certain relaxations in Orange and Green Zones but didn’t permit much activities in Red Zone from May 4. Prior to announcement of relaxations, the UT Government overruled the classification of districts announced by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by declaring Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts of Jammu region as Red Zone based on overall assessment of the COVID-19 situation and expected movement of stranded persons to the Union Territory in the next two weeks. The Government also declared entire Kashmir province as Red Zone.
Click here to see full order
The guidelines and instructions on lockdown measures in the Union Territory of J&K were issued tonight by Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam, who also happens to be the Chairperson, State Executive Committee (SEC). The guidelines were more or less based on the MHA order issued on May 1 for third phase of lockdown from May 4 to May 17.
In Red Zone districts i.e. Jammu, Samba and Kathua in Jammu region and entire Kashmir province, in addition to already permitted activities, the Government has allowed movement of individuals in vehicles only for permitted activities, with a maximum of two passengers, besides the driver in four-wheelers, and with no pillion rider in case of two-wheelers.
e-Commerce activities (home delivery etc) were permitted for essential services and foods in Red Zone.
However, in Orange Zone i.e. Reasi, Udhampur, Ramban and Rajouri districts of Jammu region, movement of individuals in vehicles is allowed for permitted activities, with a maximum of two passengers, besides the driver, in four-wheelers and with no pillion rider in two wheeler.
“Intra-district movement of individuals is also allowed in Orange Zone in individual vehicles with similar restriction of passengers in four and two-wheelers, on the basis of passes issued by the concerned district authority. Taxi and cab aggregators are permitted to ply with one driver and two passengers only while e-commerce activities (home delivery etc) are permitted for essential services and goods. Private offices can operate up to 33 percent strength as per requirement with remaining persons working from home,” the order said.
In Green Zone districts i.e. Doda, Kishtwar and Poonch (which haven’t reported a single Corona positive case), all activities which are permitted in Orange Zones, will be allowed.
Other activities permitted in the Green Zones included opening of all shops except those prohibited across the Union Territory. Barber shops, Spas and Saloons have also been allowed to function in Green Zone where buses can operate with up to 50 per cent seating capacity on intra-district routes and between contiguous Green districts.
The activities which will remain prohibited in entire UT of J&K included all domestic and international air travel of passengers, except for medical services, air ambulance, security purposes or for purposes permitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
All schools, colleges, Universities, educational/ training coaching institutions etc will also remain closed across the UT till March 17 but online/distance learning will be permitted. All passenger movement by trains, except for security purposes or for purposes permitted by the MHA will remain prohibited.
As per the Government order, all cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming polls, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, liquor shops, restaurants, auditoriums, assembly hails and similar places will remain shut.
Movement of individuals for all non-essential activities has been prohibited between 7 pm to 7 am. The order said the District Magistrates will issue specific prohibitory orders in this regard under Section 144 of CrPC. However, persons above 65 years of age and those with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years will stay at home except for meeting essential requirements or for health purposes.
Hospitality services other than those used for housing health, police, Government officials, healthcare workers, stranded persons and quarantine facilities will remain closed.
“All social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious functions and other gatherings will remain prohibited in the entire UT. All religious places and place of worship will be closed for public. Religious congregations are strictly prohibited,” the Government order said.
Prior to issuance of guidelines for the lockdown from May 4, the Government declared all 10 districts of Kashmir province and three districts of Jammu province including Jammu, Samba and Kathua as Red Zone while Reasi, Udhampur, Ramban and Rajouri districts of Jammu were classified as Orange Zone and Doda, Kishtwar and Poonch districts as Green Zone.
Classification of four districts as Orange Zone and three others as Green Zone are in lines with the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry order.
In the Health Ministry’s order, four districts of Kashmir fell in Red Zone, five in Orange and one in Green.
Jammu district has been declared as Red Zone notwithstanding the fact that there was not even a single Corona active case while Samba district has three active cases and Kathua just one.
The Government order said the State and UTs are allowed to consider inclusion of additional districts in Red or Orange categories by the Centre without diluting the existing categorization based on risk assessment.
“A detailed review was conducted taking into account an overall assessment of the situation pertaining to COVID-19 spread in Jammu and Kashmir, the trend in new cases as well as the possibility of an imminent spread/spike in new cases in view of expected movement of stranded persons to J&K in next two weeks and risk perception of the Health Department vis-à-vis each district,” the order said.
However, the order said, the classification of districts will be reviewed periodically and any further modifications will be made by the UT Government keeping in view any further development or instructions from Union Ministries and Health and Family Welfare and Home Affairs.
Local people, however, said that 21,000 stranded people of Jammu and Kashmir have already crossed Lakhanpur and reached various district headquarters for administrative quarantine. Moreover, they said, movement of stranded people is regulated from Lakhanpur onwards and this can hardly be a ground for converting Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts into Red Zones especially when there was not even a single active Corona case in Jammu and no fresh case has been reported for last several days while Kathua district has just one case and Samba three active cases.
They were of the view that Jammu, Samba and Kathua should have been kept in Orange category in line with the classification of the Union Health Ministry so that some relaxations were given in these districts after nearly one and half month long lockdown.
They said the stranded people are also moving through Udhampur and Ramban districts on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and both these districts have been categorized as Orange Zone.
Further, they were of the view that 21,000 stranded people have crossed Lakhanpur since April 25 through regulated movement in official vehicles and they were directly proceeding to the district headquarters for administrative quarantine.
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