ISLAMABAD: The capital administration once again revised its strategy over the closure of commercial activities under which markets, marakiz and shopping malls would be closed on different days.

It is for the third time the local administration has revised the strategy over the closure of markets since March 19, as it failed to prevent the spread of the virus. Besides, some trader unions also showed reservations over the schedule, said officials.

On March 19, the administration ordered the closure of all commercial activities in the capital on Saturdays and Sundays, except essential services. However, after five days, it changed the schedule and asked the businesses to close on Fridays and Saturdays instead.

Due to the closure of all commercial activities all over the city for two days, rush of people was seen in markets, marakiz and malls on the weekdays.

A notification issued from the office of Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat said as per guidelines of the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) safe days will be observed on different days.

Twin cities report 998 new Covid-19 cases

“Safe day will be observed at G-9, G-13, Sitara Market, G-15, G-10 Furniture Market, Golra Road, DHA, G.T. Road, Bhara Kahu, PWD, Pakistan Town, G-8, I&T Centre, G-7, I-9, Ghori Town, Khanna, Lehtrar Road, G-11, Aabpara Market, Tramri and I-10 on Friday and Saturday.”

Likewise, Safa Mall, Centaurus Mall, Giga Mall and Amazon Mall will observe the safe day on Thursday and Friday, it said, adding the safe day will be observed at Blue Area, G-10, Melody Market, E-11, F-8, I-8, F-11, F-6, and F-7 on Saturday and Sunday.

All other areas and markets not mentioned in the notification will also observe the safe day on Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, 724 new cases were reported in the capital on Thursday with the positivity rate of 9.5 per cent.

Besides, four patients also died within the last two days.

Rawalpindi

Two patients died of Covid-19 and 274 more people tested positive in the district on Thursday.

However, 221 patients were discharged from hospitals after their recovery in the last 24 hours.

Khawaja Moinuddin, 42, a resident of Peshawar Road, was admitted to the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) on March 25 where he died.

Nishadar Jan, 75, a resident of POF Wah, also died at RIU where he was brought on March 30. Of the new patients, 198 reported to hospitals from the garrison city - 62 patients from Cantonment, 68 from Potohar Town and 68 from Rawal Town areas.

Besides, 30 patients came from Gujar Khan, 16 from Taxila, two from Murree, one from Kotli Sattian, six from Kallar Syedan and nine from Kahuta. Four patients also arrived from Islamabad and two each from Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum, one each from Jhang and Gujrat.

There are 2,119 active patients in the district - 226 hospitalised and 1,887 home isolated. As many as 601 patients are also waiting for the results for their Covid-19 serology.

Commissioner Mohammad Mehmood said there are 27 patients on ventilators, 102 on oxygen and 97 are stable.

Of the new patients, 28 were admitted in Holy Family Hospital, 61 in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), 115 in RIU, 22 patients in Fauji Foundation Hospital (FFH), one patient in Hearts International Hospital and three at Begum Akhter Rukhsana Hospital.

Attock

The number of Covid-19 patients in Attock crossed the tally of 1,600 as the district reported 1n608 fresh cases on Thursday.

District focal person for Covid-19 Kashif Hussain said the number of active patients in the district is 119.— Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2021