LAHORE: The Punjab government on Monday ordered sealing of the entire Wapda Town and some other parts of various localities of Lahore, Rawalpindi and Sialkot following a rapid increase in new cases of the coronavirus.

Comprising a large number of houses and commercial establishments, Wapda Town has been reporting new cases since the first Covid spike in Punjab.

The provincial health authorities in their recent recommendations warned that the number of new positive cases was on the rise in the crowded housing society due to massive commercial activities and public movement.

They proposed to the government to completely seal Wapda Town, through intensive deployment of police, restricting the people’s movement and commercial activities, to curtail the virus.

Kareem Block market closed

The primary and secondary healthcare department issued on Monday separate notifications for the imposition of smart lockdown in total 34 areas/localities of the three cities.

Later, the Punjab government directed the police and the district administration to ensure strict implementation of the Covid guidelines in the areas under smart lockdown in the three cities.

However, apparently the police and the district authorities were least interested in the enforcement of government instructions, as most of the areas supposed to be under lockdown in Lahore were neither properly sealed, nor other measures were being implemented there till filing of this report at 8pm.

Particularly, there was no police deployment in Wapda Town, nor its entry and exit points were barricaded, according to some residents. Similar reports were being received form many other areas placed under smart lockdown in Lahore, showing a relaxed approach towards the issue of government functionaries.

Smart lockdown was also imposed on 12 other areas of the provincial capital, including A and G blocks of Johar Town, E, H and L blocks of Sabzazar, Tariq and Abubkar blocks of Garden Town, and some blocks of Gulberg, Faisal Town and Model Town.

Meanwhile, the government also ordered sealing of Kareem Block market, one of the largest commercial zone of Iqbal Town, following a massive surge in the number of new infection cases.

It has also proposed imposition of smart lockdown in the entire Ravi Block of Allama Iqbal Town, besides Mohni Road, Bilal Gunj.

Similarly, smart lockdown has been imposed in 15 areas of Rawalpindi, reporting the highest positivity ratio after Lahore, while six areas of Sialkot have also been sealed for reporting a surge in the cases.

The district, health and police authorities have been directed to ensure strict implementation of Covid guidelines in the areas under smart lockdown.

Meanwhile, with 16 more deaths, 1,191 more people tested positive for the virus in Punjab during the last 24 hours.

According to the official update, the total number of the positive cases in Punjab has reached 186,559, while the virus claimed lives of 5,768 people in the province.

At least nine judicial officers in Lahore, including District and Sessions Judge Sajjad Hussain Sindhar, have also tested positive for Covid-19.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2021