ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: The capital administration on Thursday night decided to seal two sub-sectors and markazes in G-9 from Friday night after the number of Covid-19 cases there reached 300.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat said the decision was taken in response to the District Health Office’s recommendation to seal G-9/2 and G-9/3 along with the sector’s markaz, commonly known as Karachi Company.

These areas will stay sealed on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, he said, adding the situation of the spread of the coronavirus there will be observed and a future strategy will be planned.

Residents of both sub-sectors have been given a day to make the necessary arrangements and obtain essential items, he said, and the administration will also make arrangements during this period. The area will be locked down completely after Friday night.

People will not be allowed out of their homes during the lockdown except to buy essentials, Mr Shafqaat said medical stores and food outlets in the area will stay open during the lockdown.

All activities, including weddings, events and gatherings, majalis and mosques will be suspended.

An order issued from the office of the deputy commissioner said these areas will be sealed at 12:01am on June 13 in the public interest and until further orders. Exceptions include essential services and supplies such as pharmacies, patients, medical aid, rationing, drinking water and emergencies.

The police, army and Rangers have been asked to cordon off these areas in order to ensure public safety and contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Residents told to make necessary arrangements as these areas will stay sealed on Saturday, Sunday and Monday

The administration and health departments will also closely watch the situation of the spread of the coronavirus in five to six more sectors, including I-10, G-7/3, G-7/2, G-8, I-8, Ghouri Town and Lohi Bher.

The number of Covid-19 cases are increasing these areas, Mr Shafqaat said, and these areas will also be locked down if the coronavirus continues to spread and the public does not follow standard operating procedures to prevent the spread.

At least 6,236 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the capital so far, while 1,164 people have recovered.

Officials in the capital administration said another 273 people have tested positive, while 178 new cases and five deaths were reported the other day.

An assistant commissioner and two deputy superintendents of police have also contracted the disease, they said. There are now 63 police officials who have tested positive for Covid-19, and there have been 29 cases in the capital administration, including in the District Health Office.

On Thursday, 28 cases were reported from Sohan, 19 from Bhara Kahu, 18 from G-9, 15 from F-8, 13 from F-11, 12 from F-6, 10 each from Tarlai and I-8, nine each from Khanna and G-8, seven each from G-7 and G-10, six each from G-11 and Bahria Town, five each from Golra, G-6 and E-11 and four each from I-10 and the Defence Housing Authority.

Meanwhile, another 43 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 and 12 patients recovered from the disease on Thursday.

There have now been 3,099 cases of Covid-19 in Rawalpindi, with 117 deaths and 1,514 recoveries. At present, 397 patients are being treated in the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU), Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital and 1,071 are isolated in their homes.

Apart from this, 1663 suspected patients have also been brought to Rawalpindi’s three hospitals and their samples sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and BBH laboratory for testing.

Local administrations have also quarantined 3,833 people who are close contacts of confirmed patients. These include 2,762 people isolated in their homes. There are 10 district health authority teams deployed at 588 homes to monitor the health of their residents.

Also on Thursday, the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) issued tickets to 43 public transport vehicles, while 37 vehicles were impounded and Rs46,000 in fines imposed for the violation of standard operating procedures (SOP) in various parts of the district.

District administration teams also visited the markets in Raza Bazaar, Saddar and Commercial Market as well as the main markets in the seven tehsils of the district including Murree, Taxila, Gujar Khan, Kahuta, Kotli Sattian and Kalar Syedan.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that district administrations have sought assistance from Prime Minister’s Tiger Force volunteers to enforce SOPs in markets.

He said the volunteers would raise awareness among the public about the importance of wearing masks in public.

Mr Mehmood also met with a delegation of the Rawalpindi Traders Association and assured them their genuine demands for a relief package would be met.

The delegation consisted of Rawalpindi Traders Association city president Shahid Ghafoor Paracha and Cantonment Traders Association President Sheikh Hafeez and General Secretary Zafar Qadri.

The commissioner urged the traders to help the government maintain the prices of edibles as the government wants to provide quality products to citizens at reasonable prices.

He said the district price magistrate has been asked to adopt zero tolerance. In the last week, price magistrates have fined 959 shopkeepers Rs545,000, he said.

Two more police officials diagnosed with Covid-19

Two more police officials have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of affected personnel to 47 in the Rawalpindi district.

The spread of the coronavirus among the police has worried the department, as police personnel are on the frontlines in the pandemic.

A police spokesperson said the New Town station house officer and an assistant sub-inspector have been isolated after they tested positive for the disease on Thursday.

He said there have now been 47 police officials diagnosed with Covid-19. These include two deputy superintendents of police, one assistant superintendent of police and six SHOs, one of whom recently recovered.

He said 75,000 masks and sanitisers have been distributed among police personnel in Rawalpindi since the outbreak.

City Police Officer Mohammad Ahsan Younas has directed the police to ensure precautionary measures while performing field duty, including wearing a mask, sanitising their hands and practicing social distancing.

Attock

The district of Attock also witnessed a record rise in Covid-19 cases after 24 more people tested positive for the disease. Three patients also died.

According to district health authorities, the total number of reported cases now stands at 267. The patients included two frontline health workers, a doctor in Fatehjang and another in Pindigheb Town.

A 26-year-old woman from Hassanabdal who was admitted to the Holy Family Hospital died of Covid-19, along with a man who lived in the Hameed village in Hazro tehsil and was admitted to the Attock District Headquarters Hospital. A shopkeeper from Jand who was isolated at home after testing positive has also died.

District Emergency Officer Dr Ishfaq Mian said all three deceased patients were buried according to the Covid-19 protocol. District Health Officer (Surveillance and Preventive) Dr Asad Ismail said that so far, 23 confirmed and suspected patients have been buried according to this protocol in various towns, including Fatehjang, Jand, Pindigheb and Hazro.

Attock district’s focal person for Covid-19 Dr Asif Arbab Niazi confirmed that the number of Covid-19 cases is continuing to increase, with 24 more recorded on Thursday. He said 16 patients were from the city, six were from Pindigheb and two were from Hazro. The results of 338 suspected patients are awaited, he added.

He said 13 patients are being treated in various health centres, while 147 are isolated in their homes and 67 have recovered. Of five patients in hospital, four are critical and one is stable.

There are 88 active cases in Attock city, Dr Niazi said, while 30 people have recovered. He said there are 10 active cases in Fatehjang and 15 recoveries, 16 active cases in Hassanabdal and five recoveries, 23 active cases in Hazro and one recovery and 22 active cases in Pindigheb and three recoveries.

Health authorities have also sealed two bank branches after their staff tested positive for Covid-19. One branch is on the G.T. Road and the other is on Hazara Road.

Chakwal

Chakwal district, considered one of the least affected by the coronavirus outbreak in Punjab, saw a surge in cases after 25 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the last two days. The tally now stands at 87.

Among the new patients is the medical superintendent of the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital and another doctor in the district health department.

Another six are at a quarantine facility established at the Choa Saidan Shah Cadet College.

District Health Authority CEO Dr Saadat Ali Khan told Dawn that the DHQ Hospital medical superintendent had travelled to Khushab a few days ago, and developed a fever after he returned. He tested positive on Wednesday.

He is isolated at home and in stable condition.

Dr Khan said a doctor working at a Basic Health Unit in Minwal has also contracted the disease.

All DHQ Hospital employees are being tested, and samples have also been taken from immediate contacts of the new patients.

An official in the district health department said eight patients are admitted to DHQ Hospital and 32 are quarantined at home. Another 32 have recovered and eight patients have died.

A woman in Rawalpindi and a man in Qatar, both of whom were from Chakwal, also died on Wednesday. The woman, who was in her 60s, was buried in Bhubar village according to Covid-19 SOPs while the body of the man has yet to arrive in Chak Kharak village.

Deputy CommissionerEsanisaid six to eight cases are emerging in Chakwal every day, while Dr Khan said 70 to 80 samples are being tested daily.

A senior health department official said the sudden rise in cases was caused by the lifting of the lockdown on Eid. The official added: “We are witnessing community spread now.”

A senior doctor in the district health department emphasised the need to reduce the influx of patients to DHQ Hospital.

“The hospital is visited by 2,500 to 3,000 patients every day. This is an alarming situation, as it could increase infections,” he said, adding that basic health units and rural health centres should be made more functional so that only serious patients are referred from there to DHQ Hospital.

Of the 87 confirmed patients, 51 are from Chakwal tehsil, 16 from Talagang tehsil, seven from Kallar Kahar tehsil, two from Choa Saidan Shah tehsil and three from Mansehra, Charsadda and Sohawa in Jhelum district.

Gujar Khan

Five people tested positive for Covid-19 in Jhelum district on Thursday.

District Health CEO Dr Waseem Iqbal said that the new patients have been isolated at their homes under the supervision of health authorities.

He said that 2,526 tests have been carried out in the district so far, of which 316 have come back positive. He said 232 patients have recovered and 78 are being treated in various hospitals and at home. Eight people have also died, of which six were being treated at the Jhelum DHQ Hospital.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2020