Shopping for rakhi ahead of Raksha Bandhan, in Jammu. (AP)

Authorities in Kathua on Wednesday ordered weekend lockdowns for an indefinite period in the district, beginning July 31, to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The restrictions will begin at 5 pm on all Fridays and will last till 6 am on Mondays, Kathua District Magistrate O P Bhagat said.

Kathua is the second district after Jammu to announce a weekend lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir.

The decision came on a day the district recorded 17 new cases—12 of them were CISF personnel. Kathua has reported a total of 511 Covid-19 cases, out of which 176 are active.

An official order stated,: “There shall be complete restriction on movement of individuals, vehicles and all activities within the jurisdiction of district Kathua, except the movement for emergency medical requirements, from 5 pm on all Fridays till 6 am on all Mondays’’.

The statement added that the decision was taken after extensive consultations with the Chief Medical Officer of Kathua, epidemiologists and other health professionals.

Chemists, milk, curd and cheese sale counters, and vegetable/fruit sale points shall remain open during the lockdown, the order said.