RAWALPINDI: Nine localities in the district were placed under smart lockdown on Friday after the number of patients in these areas increased in the last two weeks.

Besides, eight people lost their battle against Covid-19 in the twin cities.

According to the district administration spokesperson, six areas fall in Rawalpindi, two in Taxila and one in Kallar Syedan. The areas are Street No. 7 in Muslim Town, street nos 6 and 8 in Chaklala Scheme-III, street nos 10 and 19 in Airport Housing Scheme, New Morgah Road, Street No. 2 in Zaman Colony, Allahabad, Gulshan Khursheed on Karamabad Road, Jaba Kanoha Village in Kallar Syedan, Kohsar Colony in Taxila and Street No. 4 in Gulistan Colony in Wah Cantonment.

The smart lockdown, enforced in 25 areas of Rawalpindi district, on Dec 9, will come to an end in four areas today (Saturday) while it will be lifted from the remaining areas by Dec 25.

Additional Deputy Commissioner General Zaheer Anwar Jappa told Dawn that the lockdown had been enforced in nine areas that had been identified as hotspots by the district administration to prevent further spread of the deadly virus.

He said under the smart lockdown policy, the district administration sealed only streets and specific houses where a significant rise in the number of patients was witnessed in the last two weeks.

He said there was no need to panic as the shops of daily use items like milk, grocery and edibles would remain open from 9am to 7pm while clinics and chemist shops would remain open for 24 hours. He said people need not to come outside unnecessarily to avoid coronavirus.

Meanwhile, four Covid-19 patients died on Friday and 91 tested positive in different areas of Rawalpindi district. As many as 87 patients also recovered and were discharged from hospitals.

Saleem Akhtar, 74, a resident of Dupri Kahuta, was brought to Fauji Foundation Hospital on Dec 16 where he died on Friday.

Syed Ashiq Abbas Rizvi, 55, from Adamjee Road Saddar, died at Pims late Thursday night.

Similarly, Zahoor Ahmed, 70, a resident of Milad Chowk, Gujar Khan, was brought to Pims on Dec 14 where he died on Friday.

Syeda Afzal, 69, a resident of Westridge-III Allahabad, died on Friday in the Isolation Hospital and Infectious Diseases Treatment Centre (IHITC).

A total of 954 confirmed patients are under treatment in the district out of which 143 are admitted to hospitals. As many as 811 patients have been isolated in their homes. However, 425 patients are waiting for their results.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that 14,543 tested positive for Covid-19 since March with 12,267 in Rawalpindi, 958 in Attock, 897 in Jhelum and 421 in Chakwal.

He said 12,690 patients recovered in the four districts - 10,815 in Rawalpindi, 757 in Attock, 776 in Jhelum and 342 in Chakwal, adding that 595 people have died in Rawalpindi Division since March out of which 498 lost their lives in Rawalpindi, 25 in Attock, 14 in Jhelum and 58 in Chakwal.

Islamabad

A slight increase was seen in the number of cases in the capital as 259 people tested positive on Friday compared to 238 on Thursday.

Four more coronavirus patients breathed their last in the capital.

Officials of the capital administration said the positivity rate also rose to 5.7pc from 3.6pc reported on Thursday.

Sources said those who died were residents of Bhara Kahu, G-11, Tarlai and F-8 and were in the age group of 80-89, 70-79 and 60-69. During the last 24 hours, 4,755 tests were conducted.

According to the breakdown, 20 cases were reported from G-9, followed by 19 from I-8, 18 in Loi Bher, 13 in G-13, 12 in G-6, 11 each in G-10 and F-10, 10 from Model Town Humak, nine from Bhara Kahu, eight each from G-7, F-11, F-6 and I-10, seven each from Tarlai, E-11 and Koral, six each from G-11 and I-9, five each from Alipur and Sihala, four each from Rawat, F-8, Sohan, G-5 and F-5, three each from Khanna, Kuri and B-17, two each from F-7, G-15, Rawal Town, Chirah, Tarnol and E-7 and one each from Chak Shahzad, Bari Imam, Jhangi Syedan, F-15, H-12, E-8 and Saidpur, the officials said, adding that addresses of three cases were not known.

Attock

The district saw the highest ever single day spike in Covid-19 positive cases on Friday as 32 new cases surfaced on Friday.

According to health authorities, it was the highest daily count since April.

On the other hand, eight patients were reported during the last 24 hours in Taxila, raising the tally to 861, statistics released by health authorities said. — Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2020