Coronavirus outbreak: All public places shut in Jammu, Srinagar

Srinagar: The newly-formed Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have reported nine Covid-19 cases till now and the administration has decided to shut down all public places in Jammu and Srinagar, even as Section 144 has been imposed in several districts.

Jammu region has reported three cases till now, while six cases have been reported from Ladakh, which includes two cases in Leh and one in Kargil district. The Kashmir Valley hasn’t reported any case till now, but people with travel history to affected countries like Iran, China, Korea and south-east Asian countries are under observation. However, declaration of travel history and isolation of the suspected cases and testing remain a challenge for the administration.


“I was asked to fill a form at the Srinagar airport in which I can easily lie. Some passengers were copying the details from each other. There is no strict vigil. Some can even skip this process,” said a traveller, who arrived from Delhi on Monday. Many people with recent travel history who voluntarily go to local hospitals, like in Budgam, are casually checked for fever and asked to leave without any process in place to follow up the case.