india

Updated: Apr 26, 2020 18:23 IST

Jammu and Kashmir crossed the 500 mark after 29 fresh Covid-19 infections were reported on Sunday, officials said. The total number of positive cases in the UT are now 523.

Officials said all the new cases were reported from the Kashmir valley’s Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Srinagar and Kupwara districts. The numbers in the Valley have risen to 466.

Government spokesperson Rohit Kansal tweeted: “Total cases in J&K now 523. However, don’t let this number daunt you. This includes 137 recoveries too. Total active cases are 380. We will keep doing aggressive testing and strict containment. You have to support us by staying home.”

“Also, 25 more patients have recovered and were discharged. Out of these, 10 are from Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Bemina, five from Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial hospital, Srinagar, two from Kupwara and eight from Chest Diseases Hospital, Jammu,” an official said.

On Saturday, the UT had witnessed sharpest single day jump with 40 new cases after it had tested more than 1,000 people for Covid-19 in 24 hours.

So far, 137 patients—110 in Kashmir and 27 in Jammu–have recovered while six have died. Till date, 66,977 people have been put under surveillance—6,232 in home quarantine, 258 in hospital quarantine and 10,763 under home surveillance. Besides, 49,338 people have completed their 28-day surveillance period.

J&K admn allows standalone shops to reopen with conditions

The existing curbs will continue in red zones of Jammu and Kashmir while lockdown rules will be relaxed with certain conditions in some places in the Union territory, officials said on Sunday.

In pursuance of the orders issued by the Union ministry of home affairs, J&K’s chief secretary and chairperson of state executive committee BVR Subrahmanyan issued an order permitting to open all standalone shops or neighbourhood shops and shops in residential complexes in urban areas with certain conditions.

However, there are exceptions to the above shops which include eateries with sit-in facilities, cinema halls, malls, restaurants, parlours, saloons, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places.

Kashmir divisional commissioner Pandurang K Pole said that the order is detailed and there will be relaxation rules with conditions.

“The relaxations are not for red zones and besides these relaxations won’t apply to a cluster of shops like in main markets of municipal towns. Similarly, shops that can attract a crowd like beauty parlours or saloons won’t be allowed,” said Pole.