Jammu, Apr 20 (IANS): Jammu and Kashmir government decided on Tuesday to extend the night curfew to all municipal/local urban body limits in all the 20 districts of the union territory in view of the rising Covid cases.

Announcing a slew of measures to check the Covid spread, Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha said on his official twitter handle, "The corona curfew at night shall be extended to all Municipal/urban local body limits of all 20 districts of #JammuAndKashmir. It was already in force in eight districts earlier from 10 pm to 6 am."

The government also decided that within the municipal and local body limits only 50 per cent shops will remain open.

"Only 50% shops in market complexes/ Bazaars/ Malls within the Municipal limits/urban local body limits shall be open on an alternate basis through a rotation system", Sinha said in another tweet.

District magistrates of various districts have been advised to devise a mechanism to implement these curbs preferably in consultation with local market associations.

The government has already closed all universities, colleges, schools and coaching centres across the union territory to check the fast spreading Covid infection.

J&K has been steadily recording a steep rise in the daily numbers of new cases and the deaths of people infected with coronavirus.