The Islamabad administration has banned gatherings in graveyards on the occasion of Shab-e-Baraat in light of orders by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). The administration issued notifications on Sunday, imposing new restrictions amid the coronavirus surge in the federal capital.
The Islamabad police and assistant commissioners would ensure the prevention of people gathering in graveyards in Sectors H-8 and H-11 on the occasion of Shab-e-Baraat, a spokesperson maintained.
There will also be a ban on arranging any kind of gathering in connection with the day while funerals will be carried out with limited people under all relevant standard operating procedures (SOPs), they added.
Moreover, a complete ban has been announced on indoor gatherings at all wedding halls and marquees as well as outdoor gatherings from April 1. Similarly, sports tournaments, social and cultural gatherings will also remain suspended in the district in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus.
In a presser on Sunday, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hamza Shafqaat and SSP Operations Dr Syed Mustafa Tanveer said that the coronavirus infection rate had climbed to 12 per cent with more than 6,000 active cases in the capital territory.
Shafqaat mentioned that new hotspots have been identified and are being sealed. He added that the administration is making efforts to bring the infection rate down to six per cent by Ramazan.
The DC said that a ban had been imposed on any kind of political gatherings in Islamabad and any group found violating the ban will face strict action. He also stated that the private schools association will not be allowed to take out their long march.
Read Indoor, outdoor gatherings banned with immediate effect: NCOC
Shafqaat further said that inter-provincial transport will be restricted while schools have been barred from taking examinations in person. He added that action will be taken against the schools’ principals in case of any violations.
SSP Operations mentioned that police would strictly execute the lockdown orders in the hotspots identified.
Furthermore, the Islamabad health office sought the administration’s nod to declare 12 sub-sectors as Red Zones after a spike in cases. Strict implementation of SOPs in the identified sub-sectors will be ensured with restrictions on inhabitants’ movement. These include DHA Phase II, Sawan Garden, Public Works Department Society, Bani Gala, Bhara Kahu, and Sectors G-6/2, G-9/2, G-10/2, G-10/3, G-11/1, G-11/2 and I-8/3.
Meanwhile, the third wave has continued to hit Rawalpindi hard as the number of confirmed cases of the deadly virus across the district jumped to 15,927 on Sunday. Citizens are not following the Covid-19 SOPs issued by the Punjab government under the guidelines of the NCOC to contain the spread of the virus, a spokesperson stated.
The Punjab government had issued a notification to change the business hours and weekly closure of bazaars and markets in the district while the traders were directed to close shops by 7:30pm and take an off on Fridays and Saturdays.
On Sunday, with restrictions eased, the residents rushed towards city markets and shopping centres, violating the SOPs put forward by the government. At shopping malls, large grocery stores and cash and carry stores, and other markets, women with young children could be seen despite the government banning children from the markets.
The shop owners said they could not stop people from coming to their shops as this will hurt their business. However, some shops were seen to be following the SOPs with security guards stopping customers from entering if two or three customers were already in the shop.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2021.
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