Two more localities sealed as Islamabad sees spike in COVID-19 cases

Shahzad Town, Ramsha Colony searched for suspected patients; Covid-19 patient’s home declared quarantine centre

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: The district administration on Thursday sealed at least two more localities in the federal capital as new, confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) continued to emerge in the city.

Meanwhile, police recovered the body of a suspected Covid-19 patient from a house in Sector G-13.

Areas sealed

The Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) sealed the entire Shahzad Town and the slum area of Rimsha Colony in Sector H-9 after confirmed Covid-19 cases were reported from both localities.

The district administration deployed the police, rangers and army personnel to guard all entry and exit points. Earlier, the ICTA had only sealed Street-6 of Shahzad Town, but later, it moved to shut down the entire area.

The reason for the sealing Shahzad Town was a man who had tested positive for Covid-19. The man hails from Lahore and was staying in Shahzad Town. He was a member of the Tableeghi Jamaat and was in the area as part of a group of preachers.

Authorities declared the patient’s house a quarantine centre. The patient said that his nephew had returned from China two months ago and later he travelled to Raiwind on a 14-day Tableeghi (preaching) trip. The nephew and later his uncle, both tested positive for Covid-19 after which his family was interned in the house and police guards were posted outside to ensure that they do not break quarantine.

Meanwhile, police and paramilitary soldiers patrolled the streets of Shahazad Town and told anyone loitering in the streets to go back to their homes. All shops in the area were also closed until further orders.

Separately, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamzaa Shafqaat ordered to seal the Rimsha Colony in Sector H-9 after some people tested positive for Covid-19 from the locality.

To curtail the spread of the virus, the IMC has directed all of its sanitary workers, who reside in the colony, to stay home from Friday.

IMC Sanitation Director Sardar Khan Zimri said that sanitary workers, including those on the corporation’s payroll and those on contracts, should not report to their stations until the results of their coronavirus tests are out.

Sanitation inspectors have been instructed not to mark all such workers as absent during this period, while they will be paid full salaries as well.



So far, at least three areas of the federal capital, including Bhara Kahu, have been sealed after Covid-19 cases emerged there. Bhara Kahu’s Kot Hathiyal UC reported another Covid-19 positive case on Thursday.

Meanwhile, ICTA has barred entry of outsiders in Islamabad and stopped all vehicles from entering the city for now.

Owing to this, hundreds of vehicles were queued up at different entry points including Express Highway and Faizabad, waiting for approval to enter the federal capital.

Lockdown

The administrations in the twin cities strictly enforced the general lockdown and sent those stepping out unnecessarily back to their homes as health facilities in Rawalpindi treated as many as 10 Covid-19 cases.

Locals in Islamabad maintained the quarantine. Hence the main commercial markets and malls were deserted.

Personnel of the army, paramilitary Rangers and the police were deployed at different thoroughfares in the city and the cantonment areas of the garrison city. All bazaars and markets looked deserted. Rawalpindi police have tightened the noose against loiters even in the suburban areas now, which was not there until a few days ago.

In both cities, grocery, medical, dairy, fruit, and vegetable shops remained open, as per the exemption granted. The utility stores, banks, and fuel stations were also operating with a skeleton staff.

Moreover, people queuing up outside shops to purchase groceries were asked to implement social distancing advice.

Most thoroughfares in the garrison city have been converted into one-way roads and barricades have been erected.

Locals in different areas of Rawalpindi, however, complained about a shortage of sugar and flour stocks and that grocers were charging exorbitant prices for these essential commodities where they were available.

Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi district administration in its daily report on Thursday said that as many as 10 confirmed Covid-19 patients are receiving treatment at the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant (RIUKT).

Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi police impounded some 41 motorcycles for violating the ban on pillion riding.

Police in the federal capital also registered 22 cases and booked some 116 people for violating the ban on pillion riding and opening shops which were not exempted from lockdown.

The timing and staff of district courts have been slashed too and they operated for an hour from 9am to 10am.

Disinfecting capital

Meanwhile, the civic agencies including Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) and ICTA have launched a cleanliness campaign under which different markets, quarantine centres, and other sites would be washed with chlorinated water followed by spraying of disinfectants.

The drive commenced from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in which IMC Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz and Deputy Mayor Zeeshan Naqvi participated.

The mayor said that the sensitive areas would be washed and sprayed twice in a week during the pandemic.

The Inspector General Police (IGP) Amir Zulfiqar Khan paid tribute to the medical and paramedical staff as well as the police personnel who were risking their lives for the protection of people. He directed the police personnel to salute to the healthcare providers wherever they come across and further assist them in every possible way.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2020.