Coronavirus in Pakistan: Smart lockdown imposed in various cities of Punjab

• A smart lockdown has been imposed in various cities of Punjab.
  
• All business centres in Punjab will be closed from Monday at 6 pm.
  

• In addition, shops selling fruit, vegetable, milk, meat, and items of necessity as well as bakeries will remain open till 7pm.

Given the rising number of coronavirus cases across the country and Pakistan's largest province, a smart lockdown has been imposed in various cities of Punjab, including 16 areas of Lahore, 17 in Gujarat, and four areas of Rawalpindi from today.

According to the provincial government, all business centres in Punjab will be closed from Monday at 6 pm, whereas markets will be closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Whereas, shops selling fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, and items of necessity as well as bakeries will remain open till 7pm.

Only one person allowed to leave the house in an emergency

Moreover, only one person will be allowed to leave the house in case of an emergency.

In addition, 50% of staff attendance at private and government offices will be permitted.

All indoor wedding halls, shrines, cinemas, and community centres have been closed in the most affected areas of Gujarat, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Multan, and Gujranwala.

NCOC  expresses concern

The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) has expressed concern over the rising number of cases and called on the provinces to strictly implement security measures in order to curb the virus spread.

Meanwhile, a smart lockdown in some cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is also being considered while a further ban on international travel from some countries will be considered after consultation with the relevant authorities.