ISLAMABAD: The District Health Office (DHO) on Saturday requested the district administration to seal 30 streets in different parts of the capital following emergence of Covid-19 cases.

District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Zaeem Zia, when contacted, told Dawn that the Deputy Commissioner Office was approached with a request to restrict movements in 30 streets located in different sectors and housing societies.

The request was made on the basis of surveillance activities of the District Health Office and the Covid-19 test results from public and private labs/hospitals, he added.

The streets which need to be sealed are streets 13 and 79 of G-6/4 having 29 cases; street 48 of G-6/1-3 from where 25 cases have been reported; streets 14, 20, 30 of G-10/2 (22 cases), streets 3-C, 10, 17 of F-10/2 (18 cases), streets 49 and 58 of I-8/2 (28 cases), streets 4, 21, 46, 55, 57 of Bahria Town Phase III (26 cases), streets 8, 12, 13, 32 and Lane 5 of ‘G’ sector in DHA-II (22 cases), and streets 2, 4, 11 of Sector ‘A’ DHA-II (18 cases).

More hotspots identified for lockdown; positivity rate in capital falls

Besides, sealing of street 12 of G-6/2, streets 74 and 26 of G-9/1, street 69 of F-11/1 and streets 27 and 31 of F-8/1 has also been recommended, the DHO said.

Recommendations are also being made to seal more areas that have been identified as hotspots for the virus.

These areas are PM House Staff Colony and Aiwan-i-Sadr Colony at G-5 which have 27 cases; I-9/3 with 27 cases, Chak Shahzad with 23 cases, Bhara Kahu and G-10/4 with 22 cases each, G-13/2 and I-8/3 with 19 cases each, G-11/2 with 18 cases, PWD housing society 29 cases, Soan Garden 27 cases and Diplomatic Enclave 20 cases.

The deputy commissioner said the 30 streets would be sealed on Sunday while decision about the other areas would be taken at a meeting soon.

Moreover, 13 cases were reported from Quaid-i-Azam University, seven each from Islamic International University Islamabad and Ripha International University and six from Nust, Dr Zai said.

The surveillance teams are in the field for active case search in order to ensure the safety of the community and to contain the spread of the virus, Dr Zia said.

“It is requested earnestly that emergency measures be adopted to control the progression of Covid-19 cases.”

A number of district health office frontline team members have also contracted the virus, Dr Zia said.

“We are trying to make more teams and in this regard training is giving to them.”

Meanwhile, the positivity rate in the capital on Saturday declined to 12.6pc from 18.9pc on Friday.

In the last 24 hours, 7,078 tests were conducted in which 892 people - 536 men and 356 women - were found infected.

Officials said 273 cases were reported in the age group of 30-39, followed by 207 in 20-29, 119 in 40-49, 96 in 50-59, 75 in 0-9, 56 in 10-19, 45 in 60-69, 18 in 70-79 and three in 80 and above.

The number of active cases in the capital reached 6,254 - 73 admitted to hospitals and the home isolated.

Rawalpindi

The district of Rawalpindi reported 290 cases with the positivity rate increasing from 16.03pc on Friday to 17.96pc on Saturday. The district administration sealed four restaurants and imposed fines worth Rs30,000 on three others in Saddar for violating the SOPs.

However, 15 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours after their recovery from the disease.

There are 1,832 active patients - 59 in patients and 1,773 home isolated.

According to the data, 89 patients reported from different parts of Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonments, 50 from the city areas and 84 from Potohar Town.

Besides, 10 patients arrived from Gujar Khan, 23 from Taxila, eight from Kahuta, seven from Kallar Syedan, six from Murree and one patient from Kotli Sattian.

As many as 15 patients are admitted at Benazir Bhutto Hospital, 10 at Holy Family Hospital, 14 at Fauji Foundation Hospital, 19 at Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and one patient at Begum Akhter Rukhsana Memorial Welfare Hospital.

Three patients are on ventilators, 35 are on oxygen and 21 are stable.

— Aamir Yasin also contributed to the story

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2022