RAWALPINDI: The district administration on Tuesday prepared a plan to lockdown 22 localities, including 15 in the city and seven in the cantonment areas tomorrow (Thursday) after Rawalpindi reported 4,482 Covid-19 cases and 197 deaths in the last three months.

According to Punjab’s official figures, 1,090 people tested positive for Covid-19 and 67 patients died in Rawalpindi district on Tuesday.

Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Anwarul Haq said that the massive rise in reported cases in the district was because private hospitals and laboratories shared their data on new cases and deaths in the last three to four days for the first time on Tuesday.

He said a combined list of new patients and deaths caused by Covid-19 will be issued every day, adding that the coronavirus is spreading because people are not following standard operating procedures (SOP).

Following the reports of new cases, the district administration has decided to lock down the city and cantonment areas on Thursday, following formal approval from the Punjab government.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that the administration has made a list of 15 city localities and seven cantonment localities that will be locked down.

The list has been sent to the provincial government for formal approval, and the areas will likely be sealed on Thursday after residents are given 24 hours to store food and other necessary items.

“The coronavirus is spread in all areas, but these areas are more affected so they will be locked down initially,” he said.

Another 200 beds will also be provided with oxygen facilities in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) in a day or two, he said.

“Oxygen needs to be provided to patients, as most of them arrive in hospitals with breathing difficulties. The government is providing oxygen to all hospitals without any delays,” he said.

Areas to be locked down in the city are Dhoke Kala Khan, Qayyumabad, Iqbal Town, Dhoke Paracha, Dhoke Kashmirian, Kuri Road, Aliabad, Dhoke Ali Akbar, Sadiqabad, Magistrate Colony, Afandi Colony, Satellite Town Block A and C, Muslim Town and Khurram Colony. In the cantonment, Dheri Hasanabad, Talli Mohri, Gousia Chowk, Jhawara, Tench Bhatta, People Colony and Allama Iqbal Colony will be sealed.

Joint check posts manned by police and Rangers have been set up in these localities and mohallah committees have been activated to facilitate residents, Mr Mehmood said. The posts will be headed by a sub-divisional police officer and 30 constables and Rangers personnel, who will assist police at check posts and in patrols.

Facilitation centres have been established in local government schools, and committees comprising the area patwari, union council secretary, prayer leaders, retired government officials and Tiger Force volunteers have been formed.

“Grocery stores, milk shops, pharmacies, fruit and vegetables vendors and tandoors will be allowed to open shops and deliver food item to people’s homes,” he said.

Rawalpindi district has reported 4,482 cases of Covid-19, with 1,962 recoveries and 197 deaths. There are currently 2,323 active cases, with 1,410 patients admitted to RIU, BBH, Holy Family Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital and 907 under home isolation.

Another 1,783 suspected patients have also been brought to the city’s three hospitals and their test results from the National Institute of Health and BBH laboratory are awaited. There are 3,807 people in quarantine who are close contacts of confirmed patients, of whom 2,900 are quarantined at home and 10 district health authority teams are deployed at 617 houses to monitor people’s health.

The district administration on Tuesday also sealed 39 shops in and around Raja Bazaar for failing to comply with SOPs. They imposed Rs69,000 in fines and arrested one person, while 40 public vehicles were also impounded and Rs40,000 in fines imposed on transporters for violating SOPs by the Regional Transport Authority.

Islamabad

Seven more people - the highest so far in a single day - have died of Covid-19 in Islamabad and 288 people tested positive for the disease on Tuesday.

The capital has now reported 90 Covid-19 deaths and 8,857 cases since the outbreak began, capital administration officials said. So far, 2,037 people have recovered and the capital has at least 6,740 active cases.

The deaths were reported from Lohi Bher, G-9, I-10, G-13, I-13 and Bhara Kahu, while the address of one deceased patient is not known. Four of the deceased were between the ages of 60 and 69, two were between the ages of 70 and 79 and one was between 50 and 59.

Officials said 19 cases were reported from I-8, followed by 17 from Shah Allah Ditta, 16 from G-8, 13 each from G-7 and F-6, 12 from F-8, 11 each from G-9, E-11 and Bahria Town, nine from F-10, eight each from G-6 and G-10, seven from F-11, six each from Tarlai, I-9 and Bhara Kahu, five each from Sohan, Jinnah Garden, Banigala and Alipur, four each from Ghouri Town, G-11 and the Defence Housing Authority, three each from Margalla Town, I-10, F-5, F-7 and Bahria Enclave, two each from Chak Shahzad, P.W.D., E-9, G-5, H-8, Soan Garden, Khanna and Naval Anchorage and one each from Shahzad Town, Rawat, Gulberg and E-8.

So far, 77 police officials have contracted the disease and 17 have recovered, police said. Of these, 22 are from the Operations Division and include the station house officers of the Bhara Kahu, Kohsar and Women’s police stations, as well as a Koral sub-divisional police officer, four are from the Investigation Wing, 21 are from the Security Division including six from the Presidency and four from the Supreme Court, 10 mare from Logistics including one each from IGP House and Central Police Office, 10 from the Islamabad Traffic Police, nine are from the Counter Terrorism Department, and four are from Special Branch.

The capital administration on Tuesday imposed fines totalling Rs8,300 on individuals who did not comply with SOPs issued to contain the spread of the coronavirus such as wearing masks, officials said. They added that 11 restaurantsand 64 shops were sealed as well.

Shopkeepers were fined Rs102,000 for violations, and similar action was taken against 10 vehicles.

Also on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat announced that cylinders of oxygen will be provided free of cost to Covid-19 patients isolated at home under a project in collaboration with the Humanitarian Association for National Development Support (Hands) and the Association of Physician of Pakistani Descents of North America.

The project will begin with the provision of 15 oxygen concentrator machines and 20 cylinders that will be available 24/7, he said. Hands briefed Mr Shafqaat on the operational modalities of the project and shared the mechanism through which it will be carried out.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2020