Following the spike in coronavirus cases, smart lockdown has been imposed in various areas of major cities across the country.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine areas have been sealed following to the spike in coronavirus cases.
The smart lockdown has been implemented in Abbottabad, Swat, Mardan, Naushera, Chitral, Malakand and other areas.
The lockdown has been imposed in these areas due to the rapid increase of Coronavirus cases. Entry and exit points of these areas will be closed during smart lockdown.
The relevant areas were sealed with barbed wire, however, the orders could not be fully implemented in various areas of the provincial capital.
Smart lockdown had been imposed in Ashrafia Colony, Chinar Road, University Town, Danishabad, Asia and Shinwari Town and Sector E-Two Phase One Hayatabad and the main roads in the affected areas had been closed for all traffic but various routes had been ignored.
While the citizens appreciated the steps taken by the government regarding the smart lockdown, the shopkeepers of the sealed areas said that the business centers should be allowed to remain open during the lockdown.
Three valleys of Upper Chitral, six areas of Abbottabad, 15 areas of Nowshera, five areas of Mardan, three areas of Khyber, 11 areas of Swat and seven areas of Batgram have also been sealed under smart lockdown.
On the other hand, like most parts of the country, the streets, neighborhoods and union councils of Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad have been placed under smart lockdown.
According to notification, the lockdown in Rawalpindi will continue from June 18 till June 30 and the city’s UC-21 to UC-29 have been sealed, however, the food and grocery stores and pharmacies will remain open in these areas.
Meanwhile, in Faisalabad, the district administration failed to make the smart lockdown a success as per government orders and 8 markets could not be sealed despite government orders.
In Kasur, various union councils had been sealed due to spike in coronavirus cases and smart lockdown has also been imposed in Gujranwala where entry and exit routes have been closed by placing barriers.
In Multan, three areas including MDA Chowk, Shah Rakn Alam Colony and two blocks of New Multan have been sealed off due to the threat of Coronavirus.
On June 15, the NCOC said it identified 20 big cities including Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Khairpur, DG Khan, Ghotki, Swat, Malakand, Mardan with potential hotspots for the coronavirus pandemic, which has already infected 144,478 people across the country.
According to details, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) has taken important steps to identify 20 most affected cities of the country under testing, tracing and quarantine strategy against coronavirus hotspots.
The NCOC has issued instructions that special attention needs to be paid to these 20 cities and swift action is required in view of the rapidly increasing coronavirus cases.
The report said that more than 300 corona cases were reported in G-9/2 and G-9/3 areas of Islamabad. In addition, I-8, I-10, Ghauri Town, Bara Kahu, G-6 and G-7 areas are newly identified hotspots.
The NCOC said that in cities where increasing cases of coronavirus have been identified, safety and precautionary measures need to be tightened.
Meanwhile, head of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) Asad Umar appealed on Thursday that the nationals must strictly follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) against coronavirus formulated by the government.
The Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside information minister Senator Shibli Faraz, said that the authorities were implementing smart lockdown measures across the country.
The statistics collected with the help of modern technology were forwarded to all provinces and relevant steps will be taken within two days.
“The federal government is working with provinces for enhancing healthcare facilities on a priority basis. It is important to ensure uninterrupted oxygen supplies to the hospitals besides increasing the number of beds [for the COVID-19 patients].”
“We are taking necessary steps for the protection of hospital staff members and also working on packages for providing assistance to the medics working on the front line to fight COVID-19.”
Commenting over the specific medicines being referred for the infected patients, Umar said that the concerned authorities were formulating a strategy for the registration of drugs under Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP). The time period required to register drugs with DRAP was being reduced, he added.
“The federal government is working on different plans to acquire stocks of expensive medicines for hospitals. The Centre, provincial governments and political parties are on same page to fight coronavirus pandemic.”
He said that the observation of smart lockdown in COVID-19 hotspots will decrease the number of infections as the next few weeks are very important.
Meanwhile, the district administration on Thursday imposed lockdown in four sub-sectors of federal capital to protect citizens from carrying Coronavirus in prevailing high-risk situation in these areas.
As the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) death toll in the city reached 90, the health authorities decided to seal four sub-sectors of federal capital to contain the spread amongst the citizens in specified areas.
According to official sources, as per data 441 persons were tested positive with COVID-19 in Sector I-8, and 427 in the sector I-10.
Earlier the sector G-9 was sealed after 430 cases were confirmed with the COVID-19 and the administration decided to lockdown two sub sectors there as well.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Islamabad Hamza Shafqaat had stated that the decision was taken in response to the District Health Office’s recommendation to seal G-9/2 and G-9/3 along with the sector’s markiz, commonly known as Karachi Company.
Earlier residents of all sub-sectors were given enough time to make the necessary arrangements and obtain essential items, while the administration also made arrangements during this period.
The DC had said that people will not be allowed out of their homes during the lockdown except to buy essentials, however medical stores and food outlets in the area will stay open during the lockdown.
All activities, including weddings, events and gatherings were not allowed in these areas.
A notification was issued by District Magistrate Islamabad said “In exercise of the powers under Epidemic Diseases Control Act, 1958 and after notification of COVID-19 confirmed cases on line list of NIH duly traced by the surveillance teams and in order to prevent the community spread of the COVID-19 virus in the area, the sector I-8/3, I-8/4, I-10/1, and I-10/2 Islamabad along with main marakiz of I-8 and I-10 are hereby sealed w.e.f. 18 June 2020, 12:01 a.m., in public interest and until further orders.”
“Smart lockdowns” have been put in place in Covid-19 hotspots in various localities of Karachi, according to a notification issued by the Karachi Commissioner’s Office late on Wednesday night as a measure to control the spread of the coronavirus.
The lockdown started from 7pm on Thursday and will remain effective till July 2.
According to the notification, the movement of residents in these areas will be “strictly restricted” while anyone going in or out of the areas will be required to wear a mask. Only one person from each household will be allowed outside to buy groceries or other essential items by showing their Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) to officials from law enforcement agencies.
Only grocery shops and pharmacies will be allowed to remain open while all industrial units in the areas will remain closed. Takeaways and home deliveries of food items will also not be allowed.
The notification added that residents will not be allowed to hold private gatherings inside their homes. No joy riding or pillion riding will be allowed while operations of public and private transport services including Careem, Airlift, Swvl and Uber shall remain suspended.
It added that that the government would try to provide rations to needy families in the areas using its own resources as well as through the help of charitable organisations and would also try to provide mobile dispensaries for the residents.
The notification directed the deputy commissioners to coordinate with the health and law enforcement departments including police and Rangers in providing logistical support to implement the lockdown.
