Up to 14 streets in Peshawar locked down to prevent coronavirus spread

PESHAWAR: Police have sealed 14 streets in different parts of the provincial capital for days to prevent the spread of coronavirus while over 1100 people have been held so far over the violation of lock-down of the city.

The streets were shut after people living there tested positive for COVID19. No one is being allowed to interact with the residents of these streets while those living inside were being tested to find if they had been infected by the virus or otherwise.

According to a source, one each street has been sealed in the limits of Pishtakhara, University Town, Tehkal, Faqirabad, Badaber, Bhanamari, Urmar and C Division while four have been locked down in Hayatabad. Around 130 policemen have been deployed there to ensure the lock-down. Around 58 policemen are separately deployed at the quarantine centres.

The lockdown in Peshawar was tightened recently after blocking more roads of the city by placing barbed wire. Around 3,000 policemen along with traffic wardens and soldiers have been deployed in different parts of the provincial capital to ensure the lock-down in a bid to prevent the virus spread.

Special teams of the district administration, army and police have been formed to visit various parts of Peshawar to ensure implementation of the lock-down. Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police (SP) Operations of Mardan, Waqar Kharal, returned to duty on Monday after recovering from the virus. He was quarantined after he and Inspector Mohsin Javed tested positive for COVID-19 while performing duty in Manga village, a town that has been locked down since March 19 after the death of a villager from coronavirus.

“Back at work. Visited Manga to inspect lockdown arrangements. I thank every one of you for wishes and prayers. Together we will succeed,” Waqar Kharal said in a message on Monday. A large number of people in Manga had also tested positive after contacting a patient who had returned from Saudi Arabia.

Parts of the Manga village were de-sealed on Sunday following 109 negative cases from the town to provide some relief to the locals. The rest of the areas was being de-sealed gradually. The lock-down in Mandev area of Bannu is likely to end on Tuesday (today) after all nine samples collected from the family of Said Nawaz tested negative. Said Nawaz had reportedly died of coronavirus recently.

“The lock-down will end but the close family members of the deceased are to remain quarantined at home. We effectively locked down the area within no time that helped prevent the spread of the virus to others,” Bannu District Police Officer Yasir Afridi said.

The official said heavy contingents of police had been deployed in Mandev since day 1 to protect the people of the area. Hesaid the people were relieved after all samples tested negative.