MUZAFFARABAD: The lockdown in the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and its suburban areas would continue for one more week from Friday following no sings of abatement in Covid-19 cases, Deputy Commissioner Badar Munir said on Thursday.

After unexpected spike in the number of infected persons in Muzaffarabad and its surroundings, the district administration had reverted from smart to complete lockdown on June 12 for seven days.

However, dozens of fresh cases have emerged from different neighbourhoods of the capital over the past seven days, which necessitated extension of lockdown at least for another week, Mr Munir said.

He said unlike the previous week, bakeries, vegetable and fruit shops, grocery stores, poultry and LPG cylinder shops would remain open throughout the next week from 8am to 6pm.

Similarly, he said, tandoors and dairy shops would also remain open from 5am to 8pm.

However, he said meat and fish shops would remain open on Saturday, Sunday and Thursday from 8am to 6pm.

Mr Munir said the lockdown would remain in force till the midnight of June 25 during which the public transport would remain off roads.

Meanwhile, the AJK health department informed media persons on Thursday that a total of 29 more persons had tested positive for Covid-19 in AJK over the past 24 hours, and of them 13 belonged to Muzaffarabad, five each to Hattian Bala and Kotli, three to Poonch, two to Neelum valley and one to Bagh.

The new cases had pushed the region’s tally to 769. Of them 15 infected persons could not survive but 312 had recovered.

The remaining 442 were under treatment, the department said.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2020