TAXILA: The district administration Attock has taken stringent measures to check the spread of coronavirus by suspending traffic, holding a flag march and carrying out chlorination spray in public places and hospitals.

Contingents of the Army and Rangers carried out a flag march in Hassanabdal to ensure implementation of Section 144 and lockdown ordered by the government.

Hospitals, markets and public areas were disinfected by chlorination spray through Rescue 1122 fire tenders in Attock city, Hassanabdal and Hazro. The main markets and hospitals were also disinfected during the drive.

Meanwhile, Zafran Javaid, 22, from a village of Pindigheb was shifted to the tehsil headquarters hospital on Friday after he developed symptoms of the coronavirus. His 17-member family had recently returned from Umrah.

District Health Department Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Sohail Ejaz confirmed that till Friday 19 patients had been admitted to hospitals in the district. Out of these, only one patient belonging to Gharibwal village of Pindigheb tested positive while results of 12 were negative and that of six were awaited.

Assistant Commissioner Adnan Anjum Raja visited Jehri Kass checkpost on Hazara Road to ensure the lockdown. All passenger vehicles were returned to their respective districts in KP and Kohistan from the checkpost.

Talking to newsmen, Mr Raja said acting on a tip-off he along with police and health officials visited the area where nine members of Tableeghi Jamaat had been quarantined. He said they were allowed to go after screening. The official said the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee had been asked to minimise rituals at Punja Sahib.

Mr Raja said 14 people who had returned from abroad were screened so far in Hassanabdal and quarantined for 14 days. Health teams are regularly visiting them to monitor their health.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Attock Ali Annan Qammar visited the district jail to check the quarantine arrangements.

Deputy Superintendent of the jail Mustafa Ahmad informed him that a quarantine facility had been established in the jail to treat the suspected Covid patients. He said the jail was crowded and if prisoners involved in petty crimes were shifted to some other locations the situation could improve.

The official said all prisoners had been briefed regarding the disease and instructed to follow the precautionary measures.

District Police Officer Khalid Hamdani told newsmen that seven people were booked in the district for violating Section 144. He said five people, including two shopkeepers, were arrested in Attock city while two others put behind bars in Hazro.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2020