Corona-hit Peshawar: Majority in markets don’t wear masks or follow social distancing

PESHAWAR: The majority of people coming to trade centres daily ahead of Eidul Fitr are neither wearing masks nor following social distancing in a city that has the highest fatality rate in the country and has already reported over 2,160 coronavirus positive cases.

Most of the markets remain crowded throughout the day after the recent relaxation of the lockdown. The district administration, police and other departments are struggling to keep the situation under control by lodging cases and sending people behind bars or imposing fine for not following social distancing and not wearing masks.

An official of the Peshawar Police said on Thursday they have lodged over 2,400 cases while action was taken against over 7,000 people for violation of lockdown and not following social distancing at shops and markets. However, majority of the people in the city are yet to realize the threat that coronavirus poses.

Besides, Peshawar has the highest fatality rate due to Covid-19 across the country. Almost 1/4 of the deaths due to Covid19 in Pakistan have been reported from Peshawar city district. “Out of 5,424 positive cases reported from Khyber Pàkhtunkhwa till May 14, as many as 2,160 cases (39.83 percent) are from Peshawar alone. The ratio of deaths is even higher. Out of 284 deaths reported in KP till May 14, a total of 168 or 59.2 percent are from provincial capital,” an official informed.

Only Peshawar district shares 22.1 percent of deaths across Pakistan, which is just short of one-fourth of the total casualties in the country. The number of the locked down streets is increasing as more cases are being reported daily. The police and district administration quarantine a specific place immediately after coronavirus positive case is reported as per SOPs by the government.

Many believe the number of Çovid-19 patients is higher but majority of the local population do not approach doctors for tests until their condition worsens. As the government has ordered closure of shops by 5 pm, some shopkeepers are running their business till late inside by keeping the shutters down. They say this is the peak time of shopping and traders have already suffered heavy losses due to the lockdown for many weeks.

The police officials and district administrators have been holding talks with the leaders of trade unions and prayer leaders to ensure social distancing at markets, mosques and other places. However, the situation hasn’t improved much. It has been suggested that prayer leaders of all the mosques across Peshawar and KP, particularly villages and suburbs, and engage former nazims, councillors and teachers of government schools and colleges to run an effective awareness campaign to ensure social distancing and use of masks before the situation worsens.