‘Micro’ lockdowns imposed in Rawalpindi

Movement of residents restricted in 4 streets

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi district administration will seal off four streets from today (Monday), as part of a ‘micro smart lockdown’ strategy in the garrison city to control the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).

This despite the fact that just six new cases were reported.

District officials told The Express Tribune that like in the rest of Punjab, the Rawalpindi administration has started taking pre-emptive steps to guard against the second wave of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) cases.

In this regard, they said that they are conducting random swab collection and testing across the districts. Based on the results of these tests, the administration has decided to impose a 10-day-long micro lockdown.

Experts call for full 14-day lockdown in Pakistan

These lockdowns will be limited to just four streets, small neighbourhoods or a solitary building with multiple units in different areas of the city.

The four streets being sealed off from Monday (today) include one in Bagh Sardaran, Chuhar Harpal, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Colony, and a private housing society near Rawat would be sealed off from Monday (today).

Movement of residents in these streets has been restricted while the district health teams are disinfecting them twice a day.

The district officials added that the entry of outsiders in these streets has been banned. Residents will only be allowed to exit their homes just to shop for groceries and other essentials during certain times of the day.

The officials further told The Express Tribune that a final decision on imposing the micro lockdown in other areas will be taken in light of decisions made by the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC).

They expressed that the Covid-19 situation in the district has been satisfactory, especially after the public event of Eidul Azha and a surge in the number of cases, as seen after Eidul Fitr, has not been seen yet.

However, they urged locals to keep following the precautionary guidelines prescribed by the government such as wearing face masks in public and to maintain social distancing.

Five test positive in Attock

FIve people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Attock, raising the tally of patients there to 605, district health authorities confirmed on Sunday.

As many as 10 people have tested positive for the pandemic virus in just the past two days, as many as those in the densely populated Rawalpindi.

Attock District Covid-19 Focal Person Dr Asif Niazi said that the new patients include four from Hazro and one from Attock city.

He said that the number of active patients in the district is 37, of which 36 are isolated at their homes, while one is being treated in hospital.

Niazi further said that there are 6,818 suspected cases in the district, while some 10,399 people have been screened since the pandemic began.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM DNA

 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2020.