ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: The capital administration has decided to lift the lockdown put in place in the two sub-sectors of G-9 and is waiting for approval from the healthcare authorities.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Islamabad Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat confirmed to Dawn that a decision was taken to lift the lockdown from G-9/2 and G-9/3 and a notification was being issued.

These sub-sectors were locked down on June 13 after which the ratio of the spread of the virus there decreased sharply, he said. Before the lockdown, he added, 30 people out of 100 tested for Covid-19 were found infected and now there were 40 confirmed cases after screening of 600 people.

“The incidence and spread of the disease has decreased by more than 70pc in the area,” Mr Shafqaat added.

According to officials of the capital administration, 138 positive cases and four deaths were reported from G-9 since the outbreak till June 1 and the number rose to 357 and six, respectively, by June 12. From the lockdown to June 26, the number rose to 591 positive cases and 10 deaths.

Since targeted closure of these areas on June 13, number of positive cases has decreased sharply, DC says

From June 1 to June 12, as many as 219 cases and two deaths were reported from the sector while from June 13 to June 26, 234 cases and four deaths were reported from the sector. There were 133 active cases in G-9 on June 1, 326 on June 12 and 282 on June 26, they added.

Likewise, the number of positive cases in I-8 and I-10 also reached 684 with one death and 567 with five deaths, respectively. The two sub-sectors of I-8/3 and I-8/4 and I-10/1 and I-10/2 have been sealed since June 18.

From the outbreak of the virus untilJune 1, 121 positive cases were reported from I-8 and 176 from I-10 with two deaths. The number rose to 488 with one death in I-8 and 454 cases with five deaths in I-8 and I-10 till June 17.

Since the lockdown on June 18 to June 26, the number rose to 684 in I-8 and 567 in I-10. On June 1, I-8 and I-10 had 119 and 120 active cases. These areas had 315 and 306 active cases on June 12 and 331 and 204 active cases on June 26.

On Saturday, 225 more positive cases were reported in the capital, taking the tally to 12,206 in the city.

Rawalpindi

As many as 119 people tested positive in the garrison city on Saturday while one patient was discharged after recovery. However, no death was reported in the district.

With the arrival of 119 patients, the tally of the confirmed patients increased to 5,590 in the district while 242 people have died and 2,840 others discharged after recovery.

At present, 2,508 confirmed patients are under treatment, including 929 in hospitals. Of these, 284 patients belonged to other districts and 1,579 patients are isolated in their houses.

Apart from this, 1,772 suspected patients are admitted to the four hospitals and their samples have been sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH), Benazir Bhutto Hospital and Holy Family Hospital laboratories but their results are awaited.

Attock

With the emergence of five new cases during the last 24 hours in Attock, the number of confirmed cases in the district increased to 420.

According to health authorities, two frontline health workers, including a female doctor and a lady health worker serving in the Basic Health Unit (BHU) Ahmedal in teshil Fatehjang, were among the positive cases.

District focal person for Covid-19 Dr Asif Arbab Niazi confirmed that three doctors and a number of health workers were admitted to various hospitals of the district while six doctors from different hospitals were isolated in their homes. He said the number of the active positive patients in the district was 170.

Taxila

Three more people tested positive in the city on Saturday raising the number of patients to 349. A doctor serving at Wah General Hospital was among the new patients.

Deputy district officer health Dr Sara Qadeer said the new patients belonged to various parts of Wah and all of them are home isolated. She said so far 90 patients have recovered in the area. — Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2020