RAWALPINDI: The district administration has identified two wards of Wah Cantonment and a union council of Taxila as new hotspots for Covid-19, and is planning smart lockdowns in these areas.

Recommendations have been sent to the Home Department for permission to lock down theseareas from July 25.

According to the plan, 35,747 families of the three localities will be restricted to their homes soon after getting a green signal from the government.

The proposed areas are: Ward No 3 and 8 of Wah Cantonment and Union Council Saray-i-Kala in Taxila.

“A total of 7,150 houses are located in these areas and 41 patients have been reported from these areas in the last two weeks. We want to impose smart lockdown in these areas,” said Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Anwarul Haq while talking to Dawn.

He said at present a smart lockdown was enforced in Dhoke Khabba, Gulistan Colony and Range Road, Lane No 4, PIA Colony.

Islamabad records slight increase in positive cases

The movement of 84,470 people residing in these areas has been restricted.

He said the smart lockdown would be imposed in the newly recommended areas after July 24 as the period of lockdown in the areas of Rawalpindi city would end on July 24.

He said the recommendations for lockdown in more localities had been proposed in the light of directions from National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC). The Punjab government had directed the administration to identify areas with potential Covid-19 hotspots to control the coronavirus cases.

The deputy commissioner said the district government had made all arrangements to supply food and medicines in the areas.

Meanwhile, 28 patients tested positive for Covid-19 in the garrison city on Tuesday, taking the tally to 6,428. However, no death was reported from any government-run hospital.

As many as 822 confirmed patients are under treatment, including 502 in hospitals and 320 patients isolated in their houses.

Meanwhile, the district administration found 10 shops violating SOPs and sealed them besides imposing Rs27,000 fines on their owners.

Besides, 15 vehicles were impounded and the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) imposed Rs19,000 fines on public transporters for violating SOPs. Moreover, 13 vehicle owners were issued warnings.

Islamabad

A slight increase was seen in the positive cases in the capital as 26 people tested positive on Tuesday.

Besides, one male patient died of the virus in a hospital. During the last 24 hours, 1,452 tests were conducted in the capital, said officials.

Out of the total 26 positive cases, five each were reported from Loi Bher and I-8, two each from G-11, F-10 and H-13 and one each from G-8, G-9, G-7, Bhara Kahu, Sohan, Chak Shahzad, Kurri, Shah Allahdita, Tarnol and Bari Imam.The number of active cases in capital further fell to 2,441.

The tally of the confirmed cases in the capital reached 14,625 and death toll 161, the officials stated, adding so far 12,023 patients had recovered.

Attock

The number of positive patients in Attock surged to 550 as four new cases surfaced on Tuesday.

According to district focal person for Covid-19 Dr Asif Arbab Niazi, all the four patients belong to Hazro. Responding to a question, he said there were 153 active patients in the district.

Mr Niazi said the number of suspected cases also increased to 3,930 while screening of 7511 people has so far been conducted.

He said out of the 550 positive patients, 147 were home isolated while the others were hospitalised. He said so far 377 positive patients have recovered in the district.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2020