Opening of parks and gardens but not shrines and mosques for usual religious congregations is overtly and covertly an open license to violation of COVID-19 health protocol amid unprecedented rise in both the no of COVID-19 positive cases and as well as deaths across Jammu & Kashmir. The announcement in full public glare has come from none else than Baseer Ahmad Khan, the advisor to Lt Governor and as such it speaks volumes about the half hearted measures the government is taking to control the non stop spread of the COVID-19 across Jammu and Kashmir. Interestingly the announcement is in total contradiction of even the lockdown exit plans of the central government which is yet to lift ban on tourist arrivals and international flight operations in other parts of the country. As the unprecedented rise in both the no of positive cases and as well the deaths is panicking the hapless and helpless populations after the opening of markets and business operations across Kashmir, the seriousness and sensitivity of the top government functionaries over the implementation of the COVID-19 health protocols and health facilities has come into question on many counts .
To bring the fast spread of COVID-19 under control, the government has to strictly implement the COVID-19 health protocol measures and withdraw immediately some of crucial announcements made by it during last few days as part of its lockdown exit strategy. Any further deviation from the COVID-19 health protocols could prove dangerous for the health safety of majority of the populations in Jammu and Kashmir.
As the government is already hugely risking the lives of the people by throwing open the annual amaranth yatra attracting huge crowds at several places on the yatra route as per the religious protocol of the hindu preachers, the gathering of huge crowds at the parks and gardens within and outside Srinagar city could further spread COVID-19 even in COVID free areas of some districts in valley. Shockingly the hospitals in Kashmir are already overcrowded with COVID-19 patients and even hotels are fully occupied by the people undergoing administrative quarantine on their return from different parts of the country and several other countries. Any uncontrolled spread of the COVID-19 would leave no proper accommodation for either the quarantine or full treatment facilities for new COVID-19 patients and doctor’s already overburdened with the heavy rush of COVID-19 patients won’t find time to attend more and more people either at the quarantine centres or the hospitals. To bring the fast spread of COVID-19 under control, the government has to strictly implement the COVID-19 health protocol measures and withdraw immediately some of crucial announcements made by it during last few days as part of its lockdown exit strategy. Any further deviation from the COVID-19 health protocols could prove dangerous for the health safety of majority of the populations in Jammu and Kashmir.
