Several Punjab neighbourhoods put under smart lockdown

LAHORE: Several Punjab neighbourhoods were put under smart lockdowns on Sunday in view of the persistently rising coronavirus cases in the province.

Punjab's coronavirus cases have, as of reporting time, shot up to almost 118,000, with close to 3,000 deaths reported from the deadly disease.

According to a notification issued by retired Captain Muhammad Usman, the secretary of Punjab's Primary & Secondary Health Care Department (P&SHD), the smart lockdowns are being imposed in neighbourhoods where most of the coronavirus tests came back positive.

The notification stated that the smart lockdown was imposed in 26 areas of Lahore, 15 of Rawalpindi, seven of Multan, five of Layyah, four areas each of Sargodha and Faisalabad, three areas each of Gujranwala and Toba Tek Singh, and two areas of Mianwali.

Lahore

Lahore's Wapda Town, Sector C and Sector D of Askari 10, as well as the Ghouri, Umar, Shaheen, Safari, Gul Bahar, Gul Mehr, Babar, Overseas blocks of Bahria Town, were sealed.

Sectors X, Y, and Z of Phase 3 of Lahore's Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Sectors A and G of Phase 5, Sector D of Phase 6, and Streets 7 and 8 of Cavalry Ground were put under a lockdown.

Blocks C and D of the Punjab Cooperative Housing Society, Askari 15, Garden Town's Tariq Block, Model Town, and Fateh Garh were also put under a lockdown.

Restrictions

According to the notification, all shopping malls, restaurants, and private and public offices would remain closed in the areas under lockdown.

Transportation of residents of the locked down areas would be limited and only one person on a ride may be allowed outside in urgent or emergency cases.

All kinds of gatherings will be completely banned in the aforementioned areas as well.

However, all medical services, pharmacies, medical stores, laboratories, collection points, hospitals, and clinics would be open 24 hours a day.

Milk shops, meat sellers, and bakeries would be allowed to open from 7am to 7pm every day, while grocery stores, general stores, flour mills, fruit and vegetable sellers, naan shops, and petrol pumps would open from 9am to 7pm every day.

The P&SHD secretary said the purpose of imposing the smart lockdown was to limit the movement of people from areas most affected by the coronavirus. Restrictions on neighbourhoods with higher COVID-19 positivity rate is the only way to save more people from contracting the illness, Capt Usman added.

If left unchecked, the second wave of the deadly coronavirus may intensify, he said, adding that only by taking precautions could the spread of the contagious disease be stopped.

Find more details of the towns put under lockdown and the restrictions imposed there in the attached notifications below: