GUJRAT: The local administration has opened a major portion of Shadiwal town that was the first area to be locked down on March 16 after two of its residents arriving from Spain tested positive of coronavirus.

A man and his son were the first two people in Gujrat to have tested positive for Covid-19 two days after they returned from Spain.

Mohallah Khanke in Shadiwal was declared open by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr Khurram Shahzad after all the residents were screened and the locality properly disinfected. At least 30 houses were completely locked down and 294 partially in Mohalla Khanke.

Waqar Naqvi, a district administration spokesman, told Dawn that 1,895 residents of the locality had been screened and none found infected with Covid-19, which was why the DC decided to open Shadiwal.

He further said that the father and son who were the first to contract the virus were still under treatment at Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital (ABSTH) as their second test after 14 days in isolation had also come out positive. They would be tested again in the next few days.

Around 43 localities, mostly rural, were partially locked down in Gujrat district. The DC said that the district had conducted the most tests for coronavirus in Gujranwala division -- 616 -- out of which 94 had come out positive, 381 negative and the results of 144 were awaited.

He said that all the infected patients were being treated at ABSTH isolation ward and the suspected patients shifted to quarantine centres.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2020