People question closure of dhabas, food courts, restaurants

Passengers wearing masses to get ready to deplane from Vistara flight after landing at Jammu airport on Sunday afternoon.
Passengers wearing masses to get ready to deplane from Vistara flight after landing at Jammu airport on Sunday afternoon.

Another case of high viral load
*SMVDSB’s advisory for NRIs, foreign visitors

Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 15: The orders of District Magistrates Jammu and Kathua regarding closure of all langers/bhandaras, dhabas, restaurants, bars food courts, food stalls, road side eatries, etc in their respective districts today created panic among the common masses who questioned the relevance of such orders when no inhabitant of Jammu and Kathua districts has tested positive so far for COVID-19 virus.
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Under National Disaster Management Act 2005, District Magistrate Jammu, Sushma Chauhan, who is also Chairperson, District Disaster Management Authority, today ordered that no langars, bhandaras, dhabas, bars, restaurants, food courts, food stalls, road side eateries etc, shall operate in district Jammu, till March 31.
The order also said that no Masage Centres, Spa, Sauna and others, shall operate till March 31 while social, religious or ritualistic events at any public, community or religious place, involving a gathering of more than four people have also been suspended till March 31.
The District Magistrate has also ordered that no conferences, events, rallies, “dharnas”, protests etc, shall be organised within the territorial limits of district Jammu while the Transport Commissioner, J&K, shall ensure that public and private transport operating in the district shall be sanitized with the prescribed disinfectants and at such regular intervals as prescribed by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, Jammu, has also been directed to ensure that public places particularly the Bus/Taxi/Auto Stands, Sabzi Mandis, Railway Stations, Market Areas etc, in the District shall be sanitized with the prescribed disinfectant and at such regular intervals and organize necessary briefings and sensitization of her staff.
“Director, Jammu Airport and Commandant CISF, Jammu Airport, shall provide all necessary co-ordination and support to the screening desk and administrative team that have been deployed at Jammu Airport for the purpose of screening of passengers de-boarding at the Airport, the DM Jammu said in her order and asked the Director to ensure cleaning of entire Airport premises with the prescribed disinfectant and at such regular intervals as prescribed by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, for which he shall organize necessary briefings and sensitization of entire staff.
She further said that SSP Jammu shall ensure that four or more people are not allowed to be gathered, in a closed group, at any place within the jurisdiction of district Jammu except at Railway Stations, Airport and Bus Stand where passengers are boarding and de-boarding for their respective designations.
“Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act also provides for penalties in case a person obstructs any officer or employee in discharge of his functions or refuses to comply with any direction and any violation, will lead to prosecution under Section 51 of the DM Act, 2005,” said the Chairperson, District Disaster Management Authority.
A similar order was also issued by District Magistrate Kathua after which a number of inhabitants of Kathua and Jammu districts rang Excelsior office to condemn the orders, saying they have created panic among people as in no other district in the entire country has been issued such an order including Maharashtra, where highest number of 32 people have been tested positive for COVID-19 virus.
They said these orders will very badly hit the famous pilgrimage of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine as thousands of pilgrims from various parts of the country daily reach Katra through rail/road transport but when all the restaurants, dhabas and even road side eatries will be closed, where they will take food.
“When people are already cautious and taking every precaution against COVID-19 virus, what is the fun of such orders,”? they asked and said these will lead to only panic buying among common masses and orders promote hoarding of essential commodities, which will further worsen the situation.
The concerned citizens further said that till date no inhabitant of Jammu or Kathua districts has been tested positive for the novel coronavirus. “The 2 positive cases which have been reported so far are inhabitants of Kargil district of Ladakh Union Territory and they are temporary staying here in rented accommodations. While one of them had a history of Iran visit, other was in close contact of the former then why such diktats are being issued.”? they asked.
“Even the Central Government has asked people not to panic, saying no community transmission of the virus has been observed and there has only been a few cases of local transmission so far and that it is not a health emergency in India at present, then what is the relevance of such orders,” a dhaba owner said and asked how he and his three employees will meet their both ends when his dhaba will remain closed. Is the Government going to compensate us and announce some monthly stipend for us in lieu of closure of our establishments,”? he questioned.
Reacting on the restrictions imposed by District Magistrate Jammu, PHD Chamber of Commerce, Jammu Chapter said prevention measures of administration should be on more sanitation drives rather than shutting down eateries/restaurants at airports, railway station, bus stations, main tourist destinations and hospitals, which can create more problems amongst people.
The Chamber also demanded waiver of Bank interests and electricity charges, and extension of GST returns for the period of shut down.
Meanwhile, according to a spokesman of J&K Government, 2157 travellers and persons in contact with the suspected coronavirus cases have been put under surveillance in Jammu and Kashmir. “1829 persons are under home quarantine, 29 are in hospital quarantine and 131 are under home surveillance while 168 persons have completed their 28 days surveillance period,” he added.
The spokesman further informed that 101 samples have been sent for testing, of which 87 tested as negative and only two cases have tested positive, so far while as reports of 12 cases are awaited. Meanwhile, J&K Government spokesperson, Rohit Kansal tonight tweeted that one more case of high viral load has been reported in Jammu.
“#COVID19# JammuAndKashmir One more case with history of travel to Saudi Arabia reported high viral load, kept in isolation.Confirmation awaited,” Kansal tweeted.
In view of rising threat of the deadly coronavirus, District Administrations of Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi today imposed Section 144 in their respective districts.
“Gathering and assembly of more than five persons is not allowed in the district for a period of one month. Anybody not following the order, will be dealt sternly,” an order issued by District Magistrate Rajouri Mohammad Nazir Sheikh read.
District Magistrate Poonch, Rahul Yadav, while issuing prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC, also ordered closure of gyms, bars, restaurants, etc in the district. The order further said that any person returning to Poonch from any foreign country has to compulsorily maintain a home quarantine of 15 days from date of his/her return, even if he/she is asymptomatic.
In view of the outbreak of Novel Coronavirus, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) in an advisory issued today asked the NRIs and foreign visitors not to visit the Vaishno Devi shrine for 28 days, after landing in India.
In the advisory, the domestic visitors, having symptoms like cough, heavy fever and breathing problems, were also advised to either reschedule or postpone their visit to the holy shrine.
Chief Executive Officer of SMVDSB Ramesh Kumar said that dedicated Yatri Help Desks have been set up at Railway Station Katra, Helipad, Enquiry and Reservation at Niharika Complex, wherein Self-Declaration Forms have been mandated for the pilgrims visiting from the affected countries. ”A large number of advisory hoardings have also been installed at all prominent places for general awareness of the pilgrims visiting the Shrine,” he added.
Meanwhile, District Development Commissioner (DDC), Rajouri, Mohammad Nazir Sheikh has ordered the suspension of Medical Superintendent of the Associated Hospital, Government Medical College (GMC), Rajouri, Raghuvir Singh on Saturday for disclosing the identity of a suspected coronavirus patient.
Pending enquiry, the Medical Superintendent was placed under suspension. “He shall remain attached with the office of the Chief Medical Officer, Rajouri, during the period of suspension and principal GMC Rajouri shall make alternate arrangement, so that work may not suffer at the Associated Hospital, GMC Rajouri,” Sheikh said in his order.
Amid Coronavirus threat, the famous ‘Sunday market’ in Srinagar remained closed for the second successive week as a precautionary measure to prevent gathering of people. Authorities have already closed all educations institutes, stadiums, coaching centres and sports clubs as a precautionary measure in Kashmir valley, where so far no one has been tested positive for coronavirus.
”We won’t be allowing the weekly ‘Sunday Market’ in Srinagar till further orders,” Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu said. He added other hawkers/flea markets would also not be allowed at any other place in the city till conveyed otherwise.
”There will also be no public sporting events within the city limits,” Mattu wrote on the official twitter handle of Mayor of Srinagar. The Mayor said he has spoken to SMC Commissioner and SSP Srinagar – instructing coordinated efforts to ensure all gatherings in Srinagar are prevented and discouraged.
The Sunday market on the 3-km-long road stretch from Radio Kashmir to Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital, usually attracts thousands of customers from different parts of the Valley. Business worth crores of rupees is done every week in the market in which goods, ranging from a hairpin to carpets, are sold on economical rates.
However, the entire road stretch was deserted as vendors were not allowed to put up their stalls in the market. ”We were already suffering financially due to unrest in the valley for about six months. Now we are not allowed to open our stalls for the second week, how can we survive and feed our families,” said Nazir Ahmad, a vendor.
Meanwhile, sources said around 100 Kashmiri students who were evacuated from Iran last night are being quarantined at the Indian Army Wellness Centre at Jaisalmer.
These Kashmiri students were among 230 Indians who were evacuated from coronavirus-hit Iran. They arrived in Jaisalmer this morning in two Indian Airline flights. They included 131 students, 100 of them Kashmiri, and 103 pilgrims.
Sources said that the three Kashmiri students had tested positive for Coronavirus and were not evacuated. They are being treated in a hospital in Iran.

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