The markets in Srinagar opened after a month as the Jammu and Kashmir authorities eased the restrictions in the region on Monday.
Reports reaching The Kashmir Walla from different areas of Srinagar including the heart of the city, Lal chowk, downtown and Batamaloo witnessed the opening of the market. “The shops were open everywhere,” said a local.
The COVID-19 lockdown was imposed by the end of April 2021 when 289 deaths were recorded during that month.
On 15 May, the J-K administration had extended the lockdown in the region by seven days, till 24 May, which was later extended to 30 May. The decision was taken amid the surge in cases during the second wave in J-K, while over 4000 cases and over 50 deaths were recorded on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, the fatality count in J-K stands at 3884 with a caseload of 288940. Despite the lockdown, over 1550 people have died due to the virus this month which amounts to almost 40% of the total fatalities recorded in J-K since the pandemic started in March 2020.
Now, the administration has decided to unlock the city from today and the markets have already started reopening as the region saw a significant drop in COVID-19 cases.
