Muzaffarabad: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Tuesday announced a partial lockdown in the region to contain the recent spurt in COVID-19 cases.
As per the notification, the markets and business centers under the jurisdiction of AJK will observe two safe days, Saturday and Sunday, and will be allowed to remain open till 8 pm during regular days.
In addition, restaurants are barred from offering dine-in services; They can offer food and take services in the open air till 10 pm during the lockdown.
Similarly, wedding ceremonies and public gatherings inside the house are also banned from August 8. However, outdoor events with a maximum of 400 guests will be exempted from the rule.
The notification said that all dargahs in the area have been closed for public.
It further passed orders relating to public and private offices in AJK, under which only 50% of the staff would be allowed in the offices. This is allowed for public transport, which can only operate on a 50% passenger capacity basis.
As per the data shared on the National Coronavirus Dashboard, 143 new cases and five deaths were reported in the region on August 2.
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