LAHORE: Following the reports of persistent surge in the number of Covid-19 deaths and new positive cases in Punjab, the government has imposed smart lockdown in 11 areas of Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Sialkot here on Thursday.

While issuing a notification in this respect, the government said that the police and district authorities have sealed four areas each in Gujranwala and Sialkot and three in Rawalpindi.

The authorities have been directed to ensure restriction on the mass movement and commercial activities as per the given guidelines in the areas of the above-mentioned three cities.

Meanwhile, the virus claimed lives of 51 more critical patients across the province during the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 6,097.

Punjab reported 2,571 more positive cases of the virus during the same period, the record figure during the last seven months or so.

According to the official data, the total number of infections across the province has reached 205,314 so far.

Of the Thursday’s new positive cases, maximum 1,366 were reported from Lahore and 386 from Rawalpindi.

Others cases were reported from Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Multan, Khanewal, Vehari, DG Khan, Rajanpur, Layyah, Chiniot, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha, Mianwali, Khushab, Bhawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Lodhran, Bhakkar, Sahiwal, Pakpattan and Okara.

As usual, the Punjab health authorities set aside the concerns of the medical and health experts and performed only 17,153 Covid tests during the last 24 hours across the province.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2021