No Friday prayers for 2nd week, dozens booked
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Apr 3: Four more persons today tested positive for COVID-19 in Kashmir taking the number of Corona positive cases in the Valley to 57 while no Friday prayers were offered here for second consecutive week.
The four positive cases included a 38-year-old who escaped from SMHS hospital yesterday. A resident of Chattabal area of Srinagar, already declared red zone, the man mentioned his name wrongly in the hospital registry.
He was brought back by police and after he tested positive today, he was shifted to Chest Disease hospital Dalgate which among two three Srinagar hospitals is exclusively meant for COVID-19 management.
Two other persons who tested positive today are from Uri area of Baramulla district and are teachers by profession. They had come in contact with a COVID-19 patient from Samba region of Jammu and were under quarantine at Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre.
The fourth positive case is a 38-year-old from Eidgah and he had come in contact with a 10-year-old who tested positive for the Coronavirus earlier this week.
After two suspected patients from Uri town tested positive, authorities declared Masjid Noor, Amlok Colony and Sultandaki as Red Zones and directed people to confine themselves in their homes.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Uri, Reyaz Ahmad on the directions of DC Baramulla Dr G N Itoo sealed off Masjid Noor, Amlok Colony and Sultandaki areas in Uri.
They also appealed those who took part in religious congregation held in Masjid Noor on March 19 to report voluntarily for screening. They warned and said those who try to skip the screening process despite repeated calls will be dealt as per law.
A resident of Natipora who tested positive has recovered and will be discharged after completing the quarantine period from CD hospital. Six more samples of positive cases who are under treatment in the hospital have been taken and their results are awaited. Two patients have been discharged and put under quarantine in their districts.
Dr Mohammad Saleem said that at GMC Srinagar out of 24 tests, 23 tested negative and one positive. He said that result of 45 others is awaited.
Dr Farooq Jan, Medical Superintendent SKIMS, said that 18 more people with symptoms-like COVID-19 were admitted to hospital and their samples have been taken and sent for tests.
In the meantime, lockdown across Kashmir continued for the 16th day today with authorities acting tough against the violators of Government orders issued to prevent spread of Coronavirus.
Police and paramilitary troopers were deployed on roads and they had erected concertina wire to block the roads to prevent movement of people and vehicles.
And for the second consecutive Friday, no prayers were held in Mosques across Kashmir and people prayed inside their homes.
All the main masjids and shrines across Kashmir including Hazratbal and historic Jamia Masjid remained closed for the prayers.
The people were advised to offer prayers at the home to prevent the deadly virus from spreading.
Police arrested large number of people for violating the Government orders and also booked shopkeepers.
At least 22 people were arrested in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district for defying prohibitory orders. In Police Station Kulgam, seven persons were arrested for violating Government orders.
In Police Station Devsar, five persons were arrested and a case (under FIR number 28/2020 under Section 188,269 IPC) has been lodged against them. Police Station Yaripora, arrested 10 persons and a case (under FIR number 29/2020 under section 188,269 IPC) was registered in this regard.
In Handwara area of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district, police said that at least 24 persons were arrested throughout the day for violating the Government orders imposed under Section144 CrPC.
Police said that 24 more persons have been arrested while two vehicles were seized by Handwara Police in its jurisdictional Police Stations. In the jurisdiction of Police Station Handwara, a case under FIR number 103/2020 under section 188 IPC has been registered against four persons who were found violating the orders imposed by District Magistrate under section 144 CrPC.
In the jurisdiction of Police Station Qalamabad, eight persons have been arrested and one vehicle seized and a case under FIR number 20/2020 under section 188 IPC has been registered.
Similarly, in the jurisdiction of Police Station Vilgam, a case under FIR number 21/2020 under section 188 IPC was registered in which 12 persons have been arrested and one vehicle seized for violating the orders imposed under Section 144 CrPC
Police today registered two cases against people in Tangmarg for violating COVID-19 orders.
One case was registered against the Auqaf Committee Wahipora and second was registered against the organisers and facilitators of “Bandara” at Gutlipora including against Sarpanch.
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