• Upward trend continues in Islamabad as 402 new cases emerge
• Punjab govt issues new timings for bazaars under which they will remain shut on weekends
• Traders reject new timings

RAWALPINDI: While the upward trend in Covid-19 cases continued in Islamabad with 402 more infections, the Punjab government imposed a micro-smart lockdown in four localities of Rawalpindi and issued new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for bazaars and public places.

The areas sealed in Rawalpindi are: Street 4 Sadiqabad, Allama Iqbal Colony, Azizabad and Dhoke Paracha.

Under the micro-smart lockdown, localities such as one building with multiple units or small neighbourhoods would be sealed.

Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Anwarul Haq said the home department had issued a notification under which the four localities were sealed for two weeks.

“The government has issued new SOPs for public places, bazaars and other activities which will be implemented from Monday (tomorrow),” he said.

According to the notification, which will remain in force until March 29, all business centres will be closed by 6pm while no business will be allowed on Saturdays and Sundays.

It said medical services, pharmacies, collection points and laboratories will remain open round the clock and seven days a week. Similarly, grocery and general stores, flour chakkis, fruit and vegetable shops, tandoors and petrol pumps will also remain unaffected.

The new schedule will not apply to tyre puncture shops, filling plants, workshops, spare-part shops and shops selling agricultural equipment and machinery.

According to the notification, only 50 per cent staff will work each day at both government and private offices while indoor and outdoor marriage halls and community centres will remain closed from March 15.

Similarly, indoor dining will be strictly be prohibited at cafes and restaurants; only takeaways will be allowed. It said only 50 persons will be allowed at social and religious gatherings while shrines and cinema halls will remain completely shut. There will be no entry to parks and other recreational places after 6pm.

The deputy commissioner said traders and business community had been taken on board. “We will not force traders to close shops on March 14 (today) but [next Sunday and Saturday] will be off for them.”

But traders rejected the new timings and said Ramazan was nearing and they will not act upon the government directive.

“We will follow the timings issued for Islamabad by the federal government as the timings issued by the Punjab government would hamper business activities in the garrison city,” Rawalpindi Traders Association President Sharjeel Mir told Dawn.

He said markets and bazaars in Islamabad would remain open till late at night but “in Rawalpindi we are being asked to close all shops by 6pm. It is not acceptable for us,” he said.

Four deaths, 75 new cases

Four patients died in the district and 75 people tested positive on Saturday. However, 228 patients were discharged from hospitals after their recovery in the last 24 hours.

Nuzhat Almas, 72, a resident of Gulraiz Housing Scheme, was brought to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) on March 12 where she died.

Fazalur Rehman, 62, a resident of city area, died at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences where he was admitted on March 10.

Attaullah, 76, a resident of Bangash Colony, was brought to Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Centre on March 10 where he died.

Riaz Bibi, 70, a resident of Shakriyal , passed away at Fauji Foundation Hospital where she was admitted on March 10.

As many as 45 people tested positive in city and cantonment areas including five from cantonment, 27 from Potohar Town and 13 from Rawal Town.

Four patients each also arrived from Gujar Khan and Kahuta, three from Kallar Syedan and five from Taxila. Moreover, 10 patients arrived from Islamabad and one patient each from Attock, AJK and Gujranwala.

In Rawalpindi district, there are 572 active patients and 102 of them are in hospitals. Besides, 446 patients are waiting for the results of their Covid-19 serology.

Of the new patients, 14 patients are admitted in Holy Family Hospital, 11 in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), 44 in Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU), 28 in Fauji Foundation Hospital (FFH), three in Red crescent Corona Care Centre and one in Attock Hospital Rawalpindi.

Commissioner Mohammad Mehmood said 10 patients were on ventilators, 36 on oxygen and 56 stable.

Islamabad

The upward trend in Covid-19 cases continued in Islamabad and 402 more people tested positive on Saturday.

Two women also died in the capital and the deceased were in the age group of 60-69 and 70-79. They were residents of G-7 and F-8.

Officials of the capital administration said as the number of cases continued gradually the administration and the District Health Office closely watched the trend. Some of the areas are emerging as hotspots, they added.

Only Loi Bher has more than 300 active cases while eight to nine areas have over 100 active cases. When asked about the hotspots and any plan to seal them, District Health Officer Dr Zaeem Zia told Dawn that they had not recommended it yet.

Weekly positivity rate in Islamabad jumped to 5.1 per cent from 4.1pc previous week, he said, adding his office was tracing the contacts vigilantly.

During the last 24 hours, 6,105 tests were conducted and the positivity rate remained 6.5pc.

Meanwhile, the capital administration made mandatory for the public to wear masks while visiting public places.

A notification issued by Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat said as per the advice by health experts to limit the spread of cases it was essential for the public to wear masks while visiting public places.

Attock

The district administration on Saturday locked down different areas. A notification issued by the district administration said the lockdown proposed by the primary and secondary healthcare department had been enforced following reports of a surge in the number of new Covid-19 cases.

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Ali Annan Qammar said the Punjab government had started taking strict measures as the UK-variant of the coronavirus continued to spread in the province. He said bazaars and markets would close at 6pm while business centres remain closed on weekends.

Moreover, seven people tested positive across the district during the last 24 hours raising the tally to 1347.

Chief executive officer District Health Authority Dr Jawad Ellahi said six of the patients were from Attock city and one is from Hazro. He said the number of active patients in the district was 57 and 56 of them were home isolated and one was under treatment at the DHQ hospital. — Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2021