J&K: Bandipora issues fresh traffic guidelines for return of stranded citizens

The Bandipora District administration on Friday issued fresh guidelines for movement of traffic on Bandipora-Gurez road to allow stranded passengers and employees to return to their homes or join their duties in Gurez. The guidelines will come into effect from May 06.

On April 06, District Development Commissioner (DDC), Bandipora, Shahbaz Ahmad Mirza, imposed a ban on entry of people into Gurez valley as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

As per the order issued by the DDC Bandipora, “all Government employees except Education Department posted in Sub Division Gurez have been asked to report to Gurez from May 03 to May 05 while the general public of Gurez may travel to Gurez from May 06”, the order reads.

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Travel permits mandatory

According to the guidelines issued, employees shall be allowed to move on the production of their Identity Cards while ARTO Bandipora has been asked to make transport available for the employees. No vehicle shall be allowed without valid permission to travel on road.

Meanwhile, people from Red Zones shall not be allowed to move to Gurez till the Red Zone is declared “Green zone”. 
All the vehicles moving towards Gurez valley shall be fumigated and medical checkup of the travelers shall be done at Lal Qila Morh, Pethkoot. Any symptomatic person shall not be allowed to move to Gurez and shall be immediately referred to the hospital for follow up.

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At Gurez, fresh screening shall be conducted at Koragbal and shall advise 15 days Administrative or Home Quarantine to the passengers depending on their health status while the vehicles shall also be fumigated at the place.
No movement from Gurez to Bandipora shall be allowed for the time being except for medical emergencies or other emergencies on permission to be issued by Sub Divisional Magistrate, Gurez.

The Health Ministry has allowed the states to designate additional red or orange zones based on field feedback. However, they have not been allowed to relax the zonal classification of districts classified as red or orange as communicated by the Ministry.

“If one or more of these units have reported no cases for the last 21 days, they can be considered as one level lower in zonal classification, in case the district is in red/orange zone,” stated the Health Ministry.

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The Ministry also said it was critical to ensure that necessary action for containment, so as to break the chain of transmission of the virus, was initiated in both red and orange zone districts.

It directed the states and UTs that containment zones in these districts have to be delineated based on mapping of cases and contacts, geographical dispersion of cases and contacts, the area with well-demarcated perimeter, and enforceability.

The Health Ministry has emphasized the strict implementation of Containment Action Plans aimed to contain the disease within a defined geographic area by controlling the movement of people in and out of these zones, early detection of cases, breaking the chain of transmission, and thus preventing its spread to new areas.

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(Image: PTI)