Jammu Kashmir issues new Covid guidelines- Key points

New Delhi: As Covid-19 cases continue to rise in Jammu and Kashmir, the State Executive Committee (SEC) on Sunday announced additional pandemic guidelines to be followed in the state along with the already existing protocols.

As per the new guidelines, pregnant women employees and those with disabilities are exempted from physical attendance in their offices. Additionally, restrictions including a weekend lockdown, night curfew and online classes up to college-level were retained.

Here are the new restrictions to be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir:

• Pregnant women employees will be exempted from physical attendance and they shall be allowed to work from home. Employees with disabilities shall also be given the option to work from home.
• The maximum number of people permitted to attend any indoor or outdoor gathering will be strictly restricted to 25.
• Banquet halls in all the districts are permitted to allow gathering up to 25 vaccinated persons (with verifiable RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen Tests not older than 72 hours) or 25% of the authorised capacity (whichever is less), preferably in open spaces.
• Cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes, restaurants, clubs, gymnasiums and swimming pools are permitted to function at 25%.
• All colleges, schools, polytechnics, ITIs and coaching centres would continue to adopt online mediums of teaching.
• The night curfew would continue to remain in force in all districts from 9 pm to 6 am with complete restriction on non-essential movement.
• Complete restriction on non-essential movement in the entire Union Territory from every Friday 2 pm to Monday 6 am.
• Entry into parks would continue to be permitted to vaccinated persons only with due verification.

The SEC, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary A K Mehta, directed district magistrates of respective districts of Jammu and Kashmir to adopt a "zero tolerance" policy towards non-compliance of Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) and ensure due action against the defaulters under relevant sections of the law.

In an order issued this evening, Mehta said the review was conducted to assess the overall situation pertaining to the spread of COVID-19, particularly focusing on the total weekly new cases (per million), total positivity rate, bed occupancy, case fatality rate, vaccination coverage of targeted population and the extent of compliance to CAB.

Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday recorded 6,253 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the infection count to 3,97,202, while seven deaths due to the disease pushed the toll to 4,605.

There are 42,866 active cases in the Union Territory, while the number of recoveries stands at 3,49,731.