Srinagar, April 5: Leave of all medical staff, including Doctors, Paramedical and other officials have been canceled in view of the surge in the COVID-19 positive cases in the Kashmir valley, where schools have been closed from today through gardens and other parks are open for tourists.

An order issued by the Director Health Services (DHS), Kashmir, on Monday directed all Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) and Medical Superintendents (MS) to cancel the leaves of medical staff including doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, and other officials in view of COVID-19 upsurge.

The order said that it is enjoined upon all the CMOs and MS and other Territorial Offices (TO) falling within the jurisdiction of this Directorate that amid an upsurge of the covid-19 pandemic, all the leaves either sanctioned or under consideration at Directorate level or at respective offices of CMO’s and other DDO’s in respect of doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and another official of this Department are hereby canceled forthwith except Maternity Leave and Leave taken in view of extreme medical exigencies.

All the CMOS, MS, and other TOs are directed to refrain from forwarding any kind of leave to this Directorate till further orders.

The Kashmir valley witnessed a surge in COVID-positive cases during the past week. Two tourists from Pune and Gujarat also died due to a virus in the valley, where thousands of workers from different parts of the country, including Bihar, had returned here during the past month. (UNI)