Alarming rapid growth of COVID-19 in AJK
Altaf Hamid Rao;
MIRPUR, (Parliament Times): Azad Jammu Kashmir government Sunday announced to withdraw relaxation in lock-down by re-imposing full lock-down from midnight of Monday – May 18 for next two weeks, it was officially announced.
The state-government decided to impose complete lock-down after the emergence of rapid growth of the corona-virus positive cases in various parts of Azad Jammu Kashmir especially in northern capital Muzaffarabad division and southern Mirpur division of AJK.
Head media wing of the AJK Prime Minister secretariat and press secretary to the PM Raja Muhammad Waseem Khan told this Correspondent Sunday night that the Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan has ordered the imposition of complete full lock down by withdrawing the early relaxation in the prohibitory order.
“There would be full lock-down w.e.f from 12.00 midnight of Monday across Azad Jammu Kashmir”, Waseem said quoting the fresh orders of the Prime Minister issued on Sunday.
Shops of essential items including edibles and medical stores will remain open during the lock down in line with the already announced SOPs as ordered by the PM Raja Farooq Haider Khan”, the PS said.
Waseem said that the decision has been taken keeping in view the increased cases of the suspects tested positive of the COVID-19 in AJK. The Prime Minister has appealed to the people for full cooperation to this effect, he added.
“The re-imposition of complete lock-down is part of the precautionary and security measures taken to ensure the safety and protection of the masses from the pandemic”, the Press Secretary to the AJK PM said quoting the Prime Minister Haider.
The AJK Prime Minister has warned that the prevailing alarming conditions did not allow the eid shopping. People should celebrate the holy festival of eid with simplicity, Raja Waseem said quoting the Prime Minister’s fresh orders to clamp full lock down across Azad Jammu Kashmuir.
The AJK Prime Minister also announced to keep suspended the public service transport on inter-district roots during the lock-down. The State government has once again appealed to the masses to stay home to be saved from the pandemic besides to avert the threat of the spread of the corona virus, Waseem said.
Meanwhile, an official notification issued by AJK government late Sunday also said that the government has decided to impose full lock down from 12.00 mid night of May 18, 2020 in view of rising trend of the spread of COVID-19 besides rapid increase of the patients to the dangerous extent, as part of the preventive measures to be saved from the virus under Epidemic Diseases Act XXXVI-1958.
It may be added that the AJK government had granted relaxation in the lock-down on April 24 this year in response to the public demand.
