The District courts have been ordered to stay closed for September 11th, and 12th after 5 Judges from District and Lower Courts, Jammu tested positive for COVID 19 today.

The circular rolled out by Principal District & Sessions Judge, Jammu Sanjeev Gupta reads, “Some officials posted in different courts at District Headquarter Jammu have tested COVID-19 +ve. As per the SOPs issued by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, access to the District Court Premises at Jammu has to remain closed for 02 (Two) days for sanitisation purpose. No person except the sanitization workers will be permitted to enter into the District Court Complex, Jammu on 11th & 12th September, 2020. The Presiding Officers of all the Courts shall hear the urgent cases through virtual mode from their respective residences. Dates in other matters will be given by the concerned clerks of different courts and the

same will be uploaded on the website of District Court, Jammu on 14.09.2020.

Judges namely, Chain Lal Bavoria, Addl. Session Judge Anti- Corruption, V.S Bhou, 2nd Addl. Distt. & Sessions Judge, Sudesh Sharma, Electricity Magistrate, Sandeep Gandotra, Special Mobile Magistrate Passenger Tax & Shops Act, Parvez Iqbal, Sub Judge, Railway Magistrate reported COVID positive and are in isolation. The case load of the above courts has been assigned to other courts.

Meanwhile Coronavirus claimed thirteen more lives in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, taking the number of fatalities due to the deadly infection in the Union territory to 848.

While eight deaths were reported from Jammu division, the remaining five were confirmed by the officials in Kashmir valley. In Jammu division, two deaths each were reported from Jammu, Rajouri and Samba besides one each from Doda and Reasi, officials said.

Among the victims from Jammu, included a 62-year-old man from Pathal Reasi, who died two days after being admitted to GMC with “inferior wall myocardial infarction.

“He died at 5 a.m.,” a doctor at the hospital said.

A 38-year-old man from Bari Brahmana area of Samba died at 5:10 am today, two days after he was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with Bilateral Community Acquired Pneumonia, the doctor said.

An 80-year-old man from Ustad Mohalla Jammu died at GMC, three days after he was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with hypertension, CKD and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

They said a 57-year-old man from Bahu Fort died at ASCOMS Hospital (Batra) last night and had been diagnosed with hypothyroid and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

A 62-year-old woman from Ghazipur, RS Pura, who were co-morbid and COVID positive died in the GMC Jammu, while a 70-year-old man from Bandrai Ganara in Kalakote tehsil of Rajouri district, who had injury after fall in the house, died in the GMC Rajouri and later test positive for the virus.