Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): The Union Ministry of Health today designated four districts in Jammu and Kashmir as red zones, even as the UT government has declared 105 areas as red zones already.
According to an order issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GOI, four districts of JK were classified as red zones including Srinagar, Bandipora, Anantnag and Shopian.
These districts have been classified as hotspots/red zones based on the cumulative cases reported and doubling rate. The order further states that 12 districts have been classified as orange zones which include Baramulla, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Jammu, Udhampur, Kulgam, Budgam, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, Ramban and Reasi while four districts have been classified as Green Zones which include Pulwama, Kishtwar, Doda and Poonch.
It is pertinent to mention that district administration in Srinagar has already sealed 50 areas in the district that have been declared as red zones by the government. All entry and exit points have been sealed by the district administration in these areas and rest of the districts in Kashmir and Jammu have followed the suit.
The announcement comes two days before the end of the second round of lockdown. The Covid-19 pandemic has so far claimed eight lives in J&K and over 600 people have got infected so far. Government spokesman Rohit Kansal, while addressing a presser on Thursday said that effective lockdown has helped contain the pandemic spread but “even a small premature celebration can cost J&K dearly.”
