Five more schools sealed in Rawalpindi

The District Health Authority (DHA) has sealed five more schools after confirmation of coronavirus in female students and teachers bringing the total number of sealed educational institutions in Rawalpindi district to 12.

The sealed schools include Government Pak Islamia Girls High School 3 Jahangirabad, Government Girls High School Morgah, Government Girls High School Dhok Mangtal, Government Girls Secondary School Magistrate Colony Sadiqabad and Government Girls High School 2 Murree Road Rawalpindi. These five schools will remain sealed from January 24 to February 2.

Health teams collected coronavirus samples of female students and teachers from 21 more schools of the district on Sunday and send them to a laboratory.

On Sunday, the district administration sealed four restaurants and imposed a fine of Rs30,000 for not following coronavirus-related standard operating procedures (SOPs), as notified by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

Under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner Cantt, a special team inspected the implementation of corona-related SOPs in different markets of cantonment areas and sealed four restaurants as they failed to provide the COVID-19 vaccination certificates of their employees.

The AC also imposed a fine of Rs30,000 on different shopkeepers and warned that stern action would be taken against those failing to observe the SOPs.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi District Administration on Monday accelerated the ongoing campaign to check violations of Corona, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

According to a district administration spokesman, the administration was conducting raids against violations of SOPs and fines were also being imposed on the violators. He added that the traders and the residents had also been advised to get vaccinated from their nearest centers as soon as possible.

The spokesman added that the deputy commissioner had directed the assistant commissioners and magistrates to remain in the field and ensure strict implementation of the SOPs and other preventive measures issued by the government to contain the spread of coronavirus. The deputy commissioner had urged the citizens to adopt all possible precautionary measures against Corona as the implementation of SOPs is inevitable to control spread of the virus, he added.

Necessary action was also being taken against the violators, he said adding, the new Covid variant is the fastest, fittest, and most formidable version of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 for which special precautionary measures should be adopted by all the citizens.

He said, the raids would continue and action in accordance with the law would be taken against the violators.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2022.