Jammu and Kashmir Government has set up a rapid antigen testing facility at the entrance of Mughal Garden in Srinagar to ensure the safety of all who enter.
The garden has recently reopened for tourists on July 7 on a 5-day week basis after the number of COVID-19 cases in the Union Territories saw a decline. Now that the situation in the UT is improving, has also lifted the weekend restriction for the Mughal Garden.
The Mughal gardens are famous and attract a good number of visitors, both locals and outsiders, every day. This makes it of utmost importance for the authorities to ensure the safety of the people, and hence the government has set up on spot testing Covid testing facilities at the entrance of Mughal Garden where the visitors are allowed to enter the garden only after proper testing. Paramedical staff from the Health Department, along with officials of the Floriculture Department, has been monitoring the process properly.
After the Covid cases decreased, the tourist influx has increased ever since. Therefore, the authorities check for the vaccination status of the visitors or ask for an RT PCR negative report of not more than 48-hours before entry. For those who have neither, the authorities have set up a Rapid Action Test (RAT) at the entry of the garden.
"Those who don't have a negative RT-PCR test report or vaccination certificate are being tested before their entry," Javaid Masood, Floriculture Officer of the garden, said.
"On spot Covid testing facility and checking of vaccination status is a wonderful step taken by the administration because with the help of this initiative, every visitor, local or outsiders, will feel comfortable and safe," Meenakshi, a visitor said.
"The safety is in check and I request all my friends and other people of the country to visit Kashmir and enjoy the natural beauty of this paradise," Amit Kumar, a tourist said.
Muzaffar Ahmad, a tourist photographer said, "I am thankful that the authorities have reopened the garden. The initiative of testing the visitors before they enter is a good one and we welcome it. Now that the safety is also in check, I believe that more people will visit here and the business will improve too."
( With inputs from ANI )
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