It was obvious. There were early indications and warnings of an impending second wave of Covid-19 in Indian-administered Kashmir. Even a cursory glance at the daily figures of new cases should have sounded the alarms: the virus had begun to spread rapidly since mid-March — 94 cases on March 15; 140 infections on March 20; 309 on March 28; and then the curve shot up abruptly as if a monster were raising its head. But authorities apathetically continued with festivals and revelry.
Kashmiris wait in a queue to register themselves to test for COVID-19 in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir, on Wednesday, April 21, 2021. While the administration says the tourism-related events and festivals in Srinagar in March and April were critical for the resurgence of tourism that provides livelihood to thousands of people, Syed Ruhullah says more than tourism, Kashmir needs peace to thrive.
The NC leader says the administration should have ensured some basic protocols and precautions if they wanted to let tourism-related activities continue. For the on-arrival testing process, the passengers provide details like flight number, seat number, name, phone number and address. While it is possible to trace Kashmiri residents if they test positive, it is very challenging to trace a tourist who tests positive 2-3 days after their arrival.
The junior resident who wished to remain anonymous says that any variant of coronavirus that enters Kashmir comes only from mainland India because that is the only route that connects Kashmir to the rest of the world. As the cases rose dramatically, the administration finally ordered a shutdown of tourist gardens, including Tulip Garden, on April 26. It also imposed a “Corona Curfew” on April 29 in parts of Kashmir that has been extended until May 10.
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