ISLAMABAD: Five more educational institutes in the capital were sealed on Tuesday after detection of Covid-19 positive cases among staff and students.

Besides, Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) headquarters was also closed and issuance of driving licence suspended for an indefinite period.

Officials of the district administration did not disclose the names of the sealed educational institutes.

The educational institutes were sealed after two or more confirmed cases were found in each of them, they said, adding teams from the District Health Office collected details of the confirmed cases and advised them for isolation.

They are also being investigated to trace their contacts, the officials stated, adding the exposed staff and students were also being traced.

So far, 26 educational institutes have been sealed in the capital due to the emergence of positive cases.

Some of the patients refused to provide their details such as residential address, the officials said.

As per the SOP, residents of the confirmed cases are sealed and the patients are isolated.

Moreover, the ITP headquarters was closed to the public but the police did not confirm how many staffers had been found infected with the virus.

An officer told Dawn that tests of the contacts of the positive cases and other staff were being conducted. About 300 to 400 people daily visit the ITP headquarters.

Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police Farrukh Rasheed, when contacted, confirmed that he had closed the headquarters.

Meanwhile, 97 positive cases were reported in the capital on Tuesday while 4,523 tests were performed.

Officials said 13 of the positive cases were reported from DHA II followed by eight from Bahria Town, six from G-11/3, five each from G-8, CBR Town, four each from Tarlai, PWD Colony, F-7, F-6/1, three each from Soan Garden, Margalla Town, Bhara Kahu, I-10, Ghouri Town, G-9, F-11, two each from I-8, G-7, G-6, G-10, F-8, and one each from Media Town, Model Town, Korang Town, Naval Anchorage, Pakistan Town, Pakistan Colony, Jinnah Town, I-9, G-12, F-10, E-11, and Alipur.

Rawalpindi

As many as 15 patients tested positive in different areas of Rawalpindi while 23 confirmed patients were discharged from hospitals.

The district administration of Rawalpindi on Tuesday sealed 12 shops and imposed fines of Rs70,000 on violators of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) besides impounding 15 public transport vehicles.

After arrival of new patients, the tally of confirmed patients in the district increased to 7,213.

Moreover, 296 patients are waiting for their lab results.

Total 184 confirmed patients are under treatment, including 19 confirmed at the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology. Besides, 165 patients are isolated in their homes.

The local administrations also keep 654 people in quarantine whose results are awaited.

Taxila

In the city of Wah, 11 more people tested positive on Tuesday, raising the tally to 517 patients.

According to a report, the new cases were reported in Lalarukh, Saadat Colony and Gulshan Colony.

Deputy district officer health Dr Sara Qadeer said six of the new patients belonged to the same family.— Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2020