Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday decided to relax the sealing on the number of people allowed to attend indoor/outdoor gatherings, restricted at 25 currently, for the Independence Day to be celebrated across the country on August 15. However, Jammu and Kashmir State Executive Committee (SEC) has directed district magistrates to ensure Covid-appropriate behaviour.

“Maximum number of people permitted to attend any indoor/outdoor gathering shall be restricted to 25. This ceiling shall be temporarily relaxed on August 15 only on account of Independence Day celebrations, following COVID appropriate behaviour,” the Government of Jammu & Kashmir said in a statement today.

The relaxation was granted even as the SEC decided to continue various Covid containment measures including the closure of the educational institutions and night curfew across the union territory till further orders. Chief Secretary A K Mehta said in an order, “There is a need to continue with the existing Covid containment measures in all the districts in view of the uneven trend in the daily cases.”

READ THE COMPLETE ORDER BELOW:

The order was issued after a detailed review of the COVID-19 situation with a focus on total weekly new cases (per million), total positivity rate, bed occupancy, case fatality rate and vaccination coverage of the targeted population.

The order said the maximum number of people permitted to attend any indoor or outdoor gathering shall be restricted to 25.

He said there would be no weekend curfew in any district but night curfew would continue to remain in force in all districts from 8 pm to 7 am, while all deputy commissioners would intensify testing by making optimum use of available RT-PCR and RAT capacities and there shall be no drop-in testing levels.

“All school and higher educational institutions, including coaching centers, shall continue to remain closed for onsite/in-person teaching, till further orders. However, the educational institutions are permitted to seek personal attendance of vaccinated staff/students for administrative purposes and Independence Day celebrations subject to a limit of 25 and strict adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour,” Mehta said.

The SEC ordered the deputy commissioners to focus on the positivity rates of the medical blocks under their jurisdictions.