Screen travellers entering J&K at Lakhanpur, officials told

Jammu, April 2

Authorities in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday assigned duties to different departments to ensure proper evacuee management of travellers entering the UT through Lakhanpur bordering Punjab.

The move followed a surge in Covid-19 positive cases in the neighbouring states as well as in the Union Territory, which recorded five fresh fatalities and 517 new infections on Friday.

The order issued by District Magistrate and Chairman of District Disaster Management Authority, Kathua, Rahul Yadav citing the increase in the coronavirus cases and expected increase in the number of travellers due to the upcoming Navratra festival and Amarnath yatra.

The chief medical officer of Kathua was directed to ensure 100 per cent sampling for Covid-19 of the travellers and sufficient staff for ensuring hassle free management at sampling counters at Lakhanpur – the gateway to J&K. Yadav asked the Senior Superintendent of Police of Kathua to ensure all necessary security arrangements for upholding the SOPs to be followed by travellers especially to check and verify the vehicle numbers, persons sitting in the vehicle and the time of entry in the UT from their entry passes.

The order said executive engineer of the Public Works Department (Roads and Buildings) has been assigned the duty to ensure proper sitting arrangements for the officials deployed for evacuee management, sampling and other related counters. — PTI

517 new cases, five deaths

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir on Friday recorded 517 new Covid-19 cases, taking the tally to 1,31,938, while five fresh fatalities took the death toll to 2,003, officials said. Out of the fresh cases, 96 were from the Jammu division and 421 from the Kashmir division of the UT, they said. PTI

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