Rawalpindi gets 2 new vaccine centres

Covid snuffs out three lives in garrison city; Section 144 imposed in Abbottabad

ABBOTABAD/ RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi administration has increased the number of vaccination centres in the district from six to eight to expedite the vaccine to as many citizens as quickly as possible. Two new inoculation points have been established with one at a public school in the Mandra area while the other one has been set up at Chak Beli Khan basic health unit (BHU), a spokesperson said on Thursday.

District Health Authority (DHA) Chief Executive Officer Dr Fauzia Kanwal informed that 142,687 people have been inoculated so far. She said that the areas where precautionary guidelines were being flouted or localities with high infection rates would go under smart lockdown.

The official said that the only way to remain protected against Covid-19 was the implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs).

So far, 134,339 people have been administered the vaccine at 24 centres across the district since March 10. Some 17,796 frontline workers and 116,543 people, including senior citizens, received the shots, District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Jawad Zahid, adding that the vaccination of citizens 40 and above were also being carried out at all centres of the district.

Meanwhile, at least three more deaths owing to the deadly infection were reported in Rawalpindi in a span of 24 hours. All three patients succumbed to the virus at Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Liver Transplant (RIUKT), an official said.

Moreover, as many as 135 more positive cases were reported in a day, raising the tally of confirmed cases to 24,508 in the district. The total infected cases included 22,625 from Rawalpindi and 1,883 from other districts so far.

Restrictions in Abbottabad

Keeping in view the lethal third wave of coronavirus, the Abbottabad district administration following the directives of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) took special measures to contain the further spread of the disease.

According to details, Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Nasir imposed Section 144, authorising district police to take action against the violators of anti-Covid SOPs and lockdown orders during the Eid holidays from May 8 to May 16.

Medical stores, hotels, restaurants, tire shops, petrol pumps, oil depot, bakeries, general stores, karyana store, milk shop, meat shop, four chaki, EPG filling points, agriculture machinery workshops, spare parts, printing press and franchises of mobile phone companies would remain open throughout the week.

However, chand raat celebrations, henna stalls, readymade garments and other stalls are completely banned while sports activities, gymnasiums, cinemas, public parks, religious and cultural activities have also been disallowed. The violators in this regard would be dealt with an iron hand, imposed heavy fines and sent to jail or both, the commissioner maintained.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2021.