Coronavirus: Srinagar turns ghost city on Sunday

SRINAGAR — Amid growing scare of Coronavirus, Srinagar city on Sunday turned into a ghost city with empty walkways, streets, and very little transport and other business establishments.

With the increase in many positive cases for Coronavirus in India, administration in four districts of Jammu and Kashmir had already imposed restrictions over the gathering of more than five persons at any public place with immediate effect for the period of one month.

Amid fear of Coronavirus in the capital city, Srinagar on Sunday wore a deserted look with less number of people seen standing in the busiest markets of Srinagar.

Reports said all the main routes in the capital city were devoid of traffic, with very less number of vehicles seen plying on Sunday; people wearing masks were seen almost at every place in the city.

Sunday market on the three-km long road stretch from Radio Kashmir to Lal Chowk which usually attracts thousands of customers from different parts of the valley on Sunday was deserted as vendors were not allowed to put up their stalls in the market.

Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattoo last week ordered the closure of the Sunday market as a precautionary measure because of COVID-19.

In view of the COVID-19 threat, the government had ordered the closure of all educational institutions including colleges, universities across Jammu and Kashmir, besides control rooms and surveillance teams have been constituted in all the districts of Union Territory. Also, two Coronavirus lab testing facilities had already been made functional in SKIMS, Srinagar and GMC Jammu.

Government also had urged citizens, especially those with travel history to affected countries such as China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, etc, to self declare immediately and to report to the nearest government health facilities if any symptoms are found.

It is pertinent to mention here that an official of SKIMS said that no patient has tested positive of Coronavirus in Kashmir so far.