Will 50% shop closure serve the cause?

The J&K administration has enforced the closure of 50 per cent shops in the markets, shopping malls, complexes and other places in wake of the spike in the COVID-19 cases across Jammu and Kashmir especially in the summer capital of the Union Territory. The decision has, however, left the entire business community shocked, who have approached the top officials as well as to put forth their suggestions as they believe that the decision is only a futile exercise. One fails to understand how the administration will be able to control the spread of COVID-19 by closing down the 50 per cent of shops in the markets as the decision will not ensure the thin crowd in the markets. It needs to be understood that the crowd can’t be controlled by closing down the shops and allowing the people to come out from their homes to buy the essentials especially in the holy month of Ramadan. There is a need to take all the stakeholders especially the traders on board in this regard to come up with a favourable and positive solution that can help the administration in preventing the virus from spreading. Any decision to combat the virus must not be taken in haste as there is a need to ensure that the economy will not get affected and the traders who have suffered huge losses will not suffer any further especially ahead of the holy festival, EID.