Celeb deaths heighten Covid-19 fears

Virus has killed two senior artists, an education officer, two local politicians in the past few days

RAWALPINDI: It has taken over 100 deaths in the Rawalpindi district, including recent ones of artists and local politicians, from the coronavirus for the people to realise severity and reality of the contagion.

The Rawalpindi locals are traumatised after the deaths of prominent personalities over the past three days and have started implementation on precautionary guidelines.

Now, a large population, including those who considered the virus as some sort of ‘drama’ and ‘conspiracy’ have started following the precautionary guidelines, it was observed during survey of markets and public places by The Express Tribune.

Sindh appeals to recovered coronavirus patients for plasma donations

After loosening in lockdown restrictions, a large section of population threw the precautionary guidelines to the air after which the number of coronavirus cases skyrocketed in the district. As of now, more than 4,000 people have been tested positive for the coronavirus in Rawalpindi with a death toll of 122.

As many as 1,000 positive-tested patients are observing self-isolation at their homes as well. Among all 70 union councils (UCs) of garrison city, there is not a single one that doesn’t have at least one infected patient.

During the past three days, two senior artists, an education officer, two local politicians, and the mother of a provincial minister, who hails from Rawalpindi, succumbed to contagion.

The fatalities of the prominent figures include Haji Gulzar Awaan, a city official of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Rawalpindi Secretary Information, Akmal Mirza and popular stage artist Naeem Bubba.

The workers and officials of both political parties are saddened over the sudden deaths of their hardworking activists due to contagion.

The renowned Rawalpindi-based artists who succumbed to the pandemic virus include Tariq Malik Mehmood and Naeem Bubba. The artist community is also in a state of shock after the sudden deaths of both professionals.

Coronavirus rears head at Karachi Central Jail

The people attached in the education sector are also mourning the death of the Senior Education Officer Waqar Satti.

Besides it, the fears of the locals have gone up after learning that the Federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed and Punjab Minister of Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education Raja Rashid Hafeez, have also been infected of the virus.

However, the whole scenario has prompted the use of facemasks by a large section of population in Rawalpindi including those who were calling the virus as a ‘drama’ and an ‘international conspiracy’ for the past five months. The citizens have started implementing social distancing protocols arbitrarily and are avoiding unnecessary outings despite the ease in restrictions.

Apart from this, most of the people preferred home-cooked food and the people running food chains have confirmed that there has been a 50 per cent drop in delivery and take-away orders during the past week. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2020.