Covid: Punjab reports highest single-day spike

Shops, markets and malls remain closed amid lockdown

LAHORE:

As many as 2,033 coronavirus cases, the highest since the third wave of the pandemic in Punjab, were reported on Saturday.

In Lahore alone, 1,262 cases of coronavirus positive cases were reported during the last 24 hours. The total number of cases across the country stood at 3,836 for Saturday.

Health experts blamed public behaviour and attitude towards standard operating procedures (SOPs) for pandemic and precautionary measures to thwart the threat of a pandemic. The most crucial situation was seen in the last three days when the number of coronavirus patients increased drastically.

On March 19, 1,868 patients were confirmed with corona positive in Punjab while in Lahore 1,159 patients were confirmed.

Besides Lahore, 79 coronavirus cases were reported in Gujranwala, 89 in Sialkot, 180 in Rajanpur, 40 in Gujrat, 110 in Faisalabad and 29 in Sargodha.

Lockdown

Though main city markers and commercial areas remained completely closed on Saturday small markets and shops in residential areas were opened in violation of coronavirus safety standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Collective responsibility to comply with Covid SOPs: SAPM on health

A survey of different city areas showed that City Police, Dolphin Squad and Police Response Unit (PRU) vehicles kept patrolling in city markets to bar traders and shopkeepers from opening their shops and businesses.

In Township, Green Town, Iqbal Town, Wahdat Road, Bund Road, Multan Road, Samanabad, Choburji, Ferozepur Road, Baghbanpura and other areas small market remained partially opened. Speaking to The Express Tribune, various traders underlined that coronavirus lockdown had ruined their businesses.

Now they were not in a position to keep their businesses closed ahead of the festive season. The government should review its decision to impose lockdown in urban areas, said Muhammad Hanif a trader of PIA Road Market.

Another trader, Zafar Jutt said, “We wholeheartedly accepted the government decision to impose lockdown during the first wave of coronavirus. We observed lockdown for several weeks but now these lockdowns were beyond our capacity to bear more loss. The government allow businesses to function normally and strictly enforce social distancing measure, like mandatory use of facemask and hand sanitiser.”

Similar, suggestions or complaints were made by several other traders and shopkeepers who wanted to keep their businesses open.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2021.