Till further orders, amid the coronavirus scare, all educational institutions, stadiums and sports clubs in Srinagar will be closed from tomorrow, news agency Press Trust of India quoted the city administration as saying. The order came after a special emergency resolution passed unanimously under the J-K Municipal Corporation Act, 2000, according to Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu.
This, Mr Mattu said, is a precautionary measure and "an unavoidable decision" to allow the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to plan, sterilize and sanitize schools and colleges.
"Under a special set of statutory provisions, SMC has ordered closure of all educational institutions, public clubs, sports clubs, indoor and open stadiums, coaching centres within Srinagar city limits till further orders," he said.
The mayor chaired an emergency session of the Municipal Corporation, which unanimously approved a number of emergency measures and grant of special powers to its commissioner to ensure that the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is fully prepared, cautious and safe.
In a related development, the Ladakh administration has also closed all colleges and the university in the union territory from Wednesday until March 31 as a precautionary measure in consideration of the coronavirus outbreak. Schools in the entire union territory of Ladakh were shut by the administration last week.
A 63-year-old woman tested positive for coronavirus in Jammu, making her the first confirmed case in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday. The woman, who had a travel history to Iran, was among two patients who were declared "high viral load cases" by the administration on the weekend.
According to a March 7 report, all primary schools in several districts in Jammu and Kashmir including Srinagar have been closed after two people were suspected to be infected by the highly contagious novel coronavirus.
On March 9, in view of the precautions suggested by the Ministry of Health regarding coronavirus, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) Security Assistant interview at Jammu and Leh scheduled to be held on March 11, April 3 and April 4 were deferred. New interview dates will be notified to candidates later, said an official statement.
The Srinagar mayor said the Corporation will procure 1,000 full quarantine body kits and spraying machines and all public as well as private hospitals will go into heightened sanitation mode.
The Corporation also ordered cancellation of all sports events within its limits and phased segregation of flea markets, including weekly markets, with an immediate effect. It has also issued an advisory asking people to desist shopping, especially eatables and garments, from roadside vendors. He said these directions have been necessitated due to the severity of the novel coronavirus and the importance of taking cent per cent precautions.
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