ISLAMABAD: After detection of three cases of Covid-19 each, the district administration has decided to seal two prominent educational institutions in the capital from Monday.

Though the district administration has been trying to inform citizens concerned, it will be the responsibility of Islamabad College for Boys, G-6/3, and Islamabad Model College for Girls, F-7/4, to convey the decision to students and staff about the closure.

Moreover, the number of new Covid-19 cases has increased compared to a month ago when it was under a single digit.

“Three cases each have been reported in both the colleges due to which it has been decided to close the institutes for five days from Monday. We will disinfect the institutions and try to trace the contacts of the positive patients. Hopefully, the institutions will be opened after five days but it is not certain,” District Health Officer Dr Zaeem Zia told Dawn.

When asked about the policy for closing educational institutions, he said it was closed if two or more cases were detected during random testing in a day.

Institutions to remain closed for five days during which contact tracing of positive patients will be carried out, buildings to be disinfected, official says

“Educational institutions can also be closed for violating standard operating procedures (SOPs). This is why the institutions are frequently directed to follow the SOPs to control spread of the virus. After detection of cases in both the institutions, a recommendation has been sent to the deputy commissioner to close both colleges,” he said.

Dr Zia said efforts would be made to trace contacts of positive patients.

The buildings will also be disinfected.

Replying to a question, he agreed that Covid-19 cases had increased compared to the previous month.

“It is due to the opening of educational institutions, wedding halls and other social and financial activities. However, it is observed that we get around 60 or 70 cases one day and the next day the number drops to 30. It is because sometimes we hit the hotspot due to which a large number of cases are detected and then we start our effort to control the virus by contact tracing,” he said.

“Once the virus is controlled, the number of cases starts dropping again. Another reason is that we have been testing people who enter the federal capital and a large number of them were found positive,” Dr Zia said.

According to a report of the district administration issued on Saturday, 39 positive cases were reported in the capital. Four cases each were reported from PWD, Pakistan Town, I-8, G-9 and Bhara Kahu while three cases were reported from G-10 and two each from Chattha Bakhtawar, H-13 and F-7.

One case each was reported from Sohan, Burma Town, Ghauri Town, Soan Garden, B-17, G-8, G-7, G-6, F-10 and F-11. As many as 3,550 tests were conducted on Friday.

Rawalpindi

A total of 19 people tested positive while a patient died from the virus in Rawalpindi on Saturday.

The 43-year-old resident of Shamsabad was brought to the hospital on Oct 1 where he died.

About 160 confirmed patients are under treatment, including 30 at the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology.

The local administration also claimed that 348 suspected patients had been quarantined in its facilities.

During the last two-and-a-half months, no house and street has been sealed in the city as according to the district administration, people were following safety measures.

According to data of Rawalpindi division, 8,468 people have tested positive for Covid-19since March, including 7,046 in Rawalpindi, whereas 7,929 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovering.

A total of 358 people died in the Rawalpindi division with 290 in Rawalpindi, 20 in Attock, nine, Jhelum and 39 in Chakwal.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that a slight increase was witnessed in Covid-19 cases after three weeks but there was no critical patient admitted to hospitals.

He said there were 31 confirmed patients admitted to hospitals of four districts of Rawalpindi division while 149 patients had been isolated in their houses.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2020