Drones fly to monitor sealed areas

District administration, police using CCTV cameras footage to identify violations

RAWALPINDI: The district administration and police are using drone cameras to monitor the situation in the narrow lanes of areas sealed due to emergence of coronavirus cases.

Authorities were also using CCTV cameras footage to identify shops and people ignoring the lockdown.

In what can best be described as concerted efforts by the authorities to contain the spread of the deadly Covid 19 in the garrison city, at least 22 hotspots have been identified, which have been completely sealed off.

Meanwhile, District Health Authority (DHA) is surveying more areas of the city to find Covid clusters, ascertain the number of infected cases prevalent within and after completion of the survey a recommendation will be sent to the district administration to enforce strict lockdown in the locality.

The officials added that the residents of the infected areas were a huge source of spreading the virus in the garrison city.

Sources said that DHA would also constitute a report on virus transmission in the sealed areas to determine the positive aspets of placing restrictions.

In the meantime, it added that the ban on entry of people in the sealed areas from other areas would remain in place. The curfew-like smart lockdown in the hotspot areas has produced desired results and the transmission of the virus has come down drastically in the garrison city.

Disinfection

Meanwhile, district administration carried out a disinfection exercise. Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC), Rescue 1122, and Tehsil Municipal Corporation (TMC) took part in the spraying activity.

DC Haq instructed people in Covid clusters to stay home and not to step outside unless absolutely necessary.

Separately, Punjab Secretary Auqaf Irshad Ahmed along with DC Haq visited different areas of the city on Saturday and reviewed the implementation of prescribed guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) implemented to combat further spread of coronavirus.

During their visit, the Auqaf secretary and deputy commissioner warned the shopkeepers that strict action would be taken against those not complying with the agreed standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The secretary also appealed the people to exercise precautionary steps during their visits to the markets, saying, there were chances of huge losses if the SOPs were not followed.

He directed the district administration to ensure display of rate lists at prominent places at shops to combat profiteering and hoarding of daily use items. On the occasion, the DC informed the secretary that district administration was fully alert and no one would be allowed to cheat the general public and strict action would be taken against profiteering or against those who were creating artificial shortage to gain more profit.

He said price control magistrates and their teams were conducting raids on daily basis while fines and FIRs were being registered on violation on profiteers, hoarding, social distancing and SOPs. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2020.