J&K to ease COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in phased manner from June 6; check details

Hours after the Delhi government announced the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has also said the lockdown curbs will be eased in the Union Territory from June 6. The restrictions however will be lifted in a phased manner, with stand-alone shops, salons and liquor shops allowed to operate 3 days a week, while government and private offices can function at 50% and 33% capacity respectively.

Schools, colleges and technical institutions will remain closed for now but universities can resume lectures with 33% attendance from June 20. Coaching centres, clubs, paid public parks, gyms, bars and swimming pools will remain closed. Public transport, taxis and cabs are allowed to function with 50% capacity from June 6, and 67% capacity from June 20.

Outdoor shopping complexes can operate on alternate days while indoor shopping malls are allowed to open 25% of shops in a rotation system. Restaurants can remain open on all days but only for home delivery.

Amid a huge surge in COVID-19 cases, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had on April 19 imposed a complete lockdown to contain the spread of the disease. The cases continued to rise despite lockdown as just nine days after imposing curbs, the UT on May 7 recorded the highest ever 73 single-day fatalities.

COVID in J&K

On Friday, the COVID-19 infection tally in Jammu and Kashmir rose by 2,803 in a day to reach 2,84,431 while 56 fatalities during the same period took the death toll to 3,795. Of the fresh cases, 1,009 were from the Jammu division and 1,794 from the Kashmir division, they said.

The officials said Srinagar district recorded the highest 382 cases, followed by 320 in Jammu district and 228 in Kupwara district. The number of active cases has dropped to 41,382 in the union territory, while 2,39,254 patients have recovered so far, the officials said.