ISLAMABAD: With no let-up in Covid-19 cases, 32 streets in the capital were sealed on Sunday while health authorities recommended smart lockdowns in 17 areas of Rawalpindi district.

As many as 555 people were found infected by the virus in both districts, with the positivity rate in the capital touching 10.6pc.

On the other hand, while violation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) continued, vaccination centres have become one of the most vulnerable places. Hundreds of people stay in queues without maintaining social distancing. It is worth mentioning that as many as 3,707 samples were collected from the city on Saturday, out of which 395 were found positive.

The weekly positivity rate, which was 0.9pc in the last week of June with 221 cases reported during the week, has increased to 9.2pc with 2,180 cases reported in the past one week.

According to a notification issued by the district administration 32 streets of different sectors have been closed. They are streets 1, 2 and 6 in E-11/4, streets 46 and 53 in F-11/3, street 8 in G-6/2, streets 56, 62, 66, 67, 91, 93, 96, 98, 99 and 100 in G-9/4 and streets 52, 53, 69 and 70 in G-10/3. In G-13/2, streets 30, 32, 45, 47, 48, 49 and 74 have been sealed while streets 91, 92, 95 and 109 in I-8/4 have been closed. Similarly, street 15 in I-8/1 and street 78 in I-8/3have been sealed. In I-9/4, street 28-B and in in I-10/1 streets 55 to 58, 61, 64, 65 and 80 to 83 have been closed. Streets 32 and 33 have been sealed in I-10/2 street 26 in I-10/4. Movement has been restricted in street 19A in G-15/1.

Exemptions to the order include essential services and supplies like pharmacy and medicine shops, rationing, drinking water supplies, utilities and emergency and so on, but under strict standard operating procedures.

Meanwhile, vaccination centres across the city have become hubs of virus transmission as implementation of social distancing has been ignored by people and the administrations of the centres.

On Saturday, there was violation of SOPs at Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Centre (IHITC), located in Chak Shahzad area. Even though there was a small number of people present, distance was not being maintained. Furthermore, a number of desks were vacant as no official was there to register people.

Rawalpindi

Punjab health authorities have recommended smart lockdown in 17 areas of the district as 80 patients were reported from these areas in a week.

These areas are Umar block Phase-8 Bahria Town (five patients), street 16 Dhoke Khabba (four patients), Arya Mohallah (seven patients), New Gulzar-i-Quaid (four patients), St 16 New Lalazar Wah Cantt (four patients), Askari 14 (six patients), Chatri Chowk KRL (four patients), Dhoke Kashmirian (six patients), Abu Bakar Block Phase-8 (five patients), Morgah (four patients), Mohallah Aliabad (four patients), 7th Road Satellite Town (four patients), Tench Bhatta (six patients), Lalazar (four patients), Village Nara Kahuta (four patients), Quaid-i-Azam Colony (five patients) and Nai Abadi Naseerabad (four patients).

A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that it would impose smart lockdowns in and around houses where more than four patients were reported. However, he said that final action would be taken after Punjab government’s approval.

On Sunday, 160 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Rawalpindi district while 73 patients were discharged from hospitals during the last 24 hours.

There are 1,167 active patients and 155 are in hospitals including 20 who arrived from other districts and 1,012 patients are home isolated.

As many as 45 patients are from cantonment areas, 46 from Potohar Town and 47 from Rawal Town. As many as seven patients each arrived from Gujar Khan and Taxila, six from Kahuta and one patient each from Kallar Syedan and Murree.

As many as 33 patients are admitted to Holy Family Hospital, 25 are in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), 53 in Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU), 33 in Fauji Foundation Hospital (FFH), three patients each at Hearts International Hospital, Bilal Hospital and two patients in Attock Hospital. There are six patients on ventilators in Rawalpindi, 76 are on oxygen support and 73 are stable.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2021