Balochistan extends lockdown till May 19

QUETTA: As coronavirus cases surpassed 1,300 and death toll topped 20 in theprovince, the Balochistan government extended the lockdown till May 19, according to a notification issued by provincial Home and Tribal Affairs Department late on Monday.

“The looming threat of coronavirus spread still exists and the restrictions on social distancing and precautionary measures are still required to be put in place for (the) safety of human lives,” read the notification.

The lockdown was implemented across the province on March 20 and has since been extended time and again to prevent the spread of the pandemic.

The notification added, “There are sufficient grounds to proceed under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 as an immediate preventive and speedy remedy to ensure public safety, conserve lives and maintain peace and tranquility in Balochistan.”

Under the lockdown, public gatherings, inter-city and inter-provincial transport and religious gatherings would remain banned across the province while strict action would be taken against violators.

The provincial health department confirmed 1,165 infections of local transmission ofvirus cases across the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2020.