LAHORE: The Lahore police intensified the lockdown on Sunday on the reports of a surge in the number of confirmed cases in the city.

Operations Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Faisal Shahzad said the police were directed to intensify the lockdown following reports of a massive spread of the virus in the city. Police on Sunday sealed more localities, streets and residences in Shadbagh, Shadman, Begumkot, Shahdara and Wahdat Colony due to the presence of a large number of confirmed patients of coronavirus.

“We established 122 pickets on Sunday on various roads of the city in order to ensure lockdown to prevent spread of the coronavirus,” he said.

He added that only people performing various duties, including law enforcement, health professionals, journalists, emergency services etc, were allowed to move on roads.

“We are intensifying the lockdown in the city from Sunday as per new instructions to ensure 100 per cent compliance with the government policy,” said the SSP.

Covid-19 kills three more in Punjab

Senior police officials have been directed to patrol the city areas to ensure compliance of the lockdown.

Three more patients of Covid-19 died at hospitals in the province during the last 24 hours, taking the death toll from coronavirus in Punjab to 81.

Meanwhile, the total number of confirmed cases reached 5,446 after 120 more people tested positive for Covid-19 across Punjab.

Among the three victims, two died in Lahore and one in Multan district.

According to the official figures released on Sunday, the new cases in the last 24 hours included one member of the Tableeghi Jamaat, while the remaining 119 were reported from the non-quarantine centres in Punjab.

Of the 119 cases, 60 were reported from Lahore -- where the total number of confirmed patients of Covid-19 has reached 1,217 – and 22 in Gujranwala – where the total number of patients is 144.

Official reports state that 22 patients of Covid-19 were in critical condition in various quarantine centres and hospitals of Punjab.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2020