States »NortPosted at: Apr 23 2021 6:27PM COVID: Srinagar Mayor seeks closure of gardens, ban on congregational prayers
Srinagar, Apr 23 (UNI) Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu on Friday sought closure of all tourist gardens and ban on congregational prayers, besides other measures amid unabated rise in COVID-19 cases in J&K, particularly the summer capital of the Union Territory.
In a letter to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the Srinagar Mayor asserted that the second COVID-19 wave mounts an unprecedented challenge in the entire country, including J&K, and made ten suggestions with request for implementations in Srinagar city to curtail the spread of the virus.
Mr Mattu also reaffirmed full cooperation of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to the administration in taking every measure to contain the spread of COVID-19 and 'save precious lives'.
''All tourist gardens, monuments and tourist sites shall be shut while a negative RT-PCR test report should be made mandatory for anyone entering Srinagar by air or through the road routes,'' the Srinagar Mayor wrote in the letter, which he posted on his twitter handle.
He also sought shutting down all OPDs at Government and Private Hospitals to reduce the strain on healthcare infrastructure and allow them a better and safer atmosphere in their valiant fight against COVID-19. ''All emergency cases can be treated at Emergency Wards and designated COVID-19 centers at the hospitals,'' he suggested.
He said all elective or non-emergent procedures and surgeries at the hospitals should be ceased till the situation improves and vaccination rates go up, adding surgeries and procedures for emergencies and terminal patients should be prioritised.
The Srinagar Mayor also sought disallowing all congregational prayers and religious gatherings at places of worship in Srinagar besides 50 per cent attendance roster on rotational basis at all essential services in government and public offices. For non-essential services, he said, a 33 per cent attendance roster on rotational basis should be implemented in government and public offices.
He said there should be 33 per cent attendance roster on rotational basis for teachers of Government and private schools (those that continue to seek presence of teachers for administrative and curriculum dissemination purposes). ''A 33 per cent rotational regulation for vendor-markets and flea-markets in Srinagar to regulate crowds. The SMC had initiated a regulation of these markets during the first COVID-19 wave,'' he added.
Mr Mattu also sought constitution of a multi-agency field task-force to enforce COVID guidelines (mask-usage, physical-distancing and restrictions in outdoor and indoor gatherings) besides a comprehensive, multi-media and multi-pronged community awareness campaign with door-to-door initiatives to ensure maximum possible success of the COVID vaccination drive.
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