Several localities in Rawalpindi and Multan have been declared as coronavirus hotspots and put under lockdown with immediate effect, according to notifications from the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department.

The notifications said there had been a "constant increase in positivity percentage and prevalence of Covid-19 in the province of Punjab during the last two weeks which poses a serious and imminent threat to public health", adding that all possible measures needed to be taken to control the spread of the virus.

The following areas will remain under a lockdown till November 19:

Rawalpindi

  • Fauji Foundation University, New Lalazar
  • Government Girls Highschool, Kahuta
  • Satellite Town
  • Abbasi Abad

Multan

  • Naqshband Colony
  • Gulgasht Colony/ Khairabad
  • Mepco Colony
  • Khwajabad/ Multan Kacheri
  • Sadat Colony

Opinion

Editorial

Afghan strikes
Updated 24 Feb, 2026

Afghan strikes

IN the wake of the recent wave of terrorist attacks targeting Pakistan, with most of the atrocities linked to ...
Tug of war
24 Feb, 2026

Tug of war

THE timing may be questioned, but the issue is not new. The PPP and the MQM-P are once again engaging in their old...
Easier CNIC access
24 Feb, 2026

Easier CNIC access

NADRA’S decision to issue CNICs to first-time applicants without requiring them to produce a birth certificate is ...
Hollow applause
Updated 23 Feb, 2026

Hollow applause

The current account turnaround, though largely driven by import compression, rising remittances and bilateral debt rollovers, has eased external pressures.
Delayed appointment
23 Feb, 2026

Delayed appointment

THE recent appointment of a chief election commissioner for Azad Jammu & Kashmir has once again shone a ...
Fragile equilibrium
23 Feb, 2026

Fragile equilibrium

PAKISTAN is not short of food. It is short of resilience. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification...