Smart lockdown imposed in capital

Islamabad : Heavy contingent of forces of law enforcement agencies – police and paramilitary – including Rangers, on midnight on Thursday sealed all the entry and exit points of four sub-sectors of I-8 and I-10 with I-8 Markaz and I-10 Markaz after a surge in coronavirus cases were reported.

SP (Industrial Area Zone) Zubair Shaikh will command the force deployed for the lockdown contrive, while Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Hamza Shafqaat will himself supervise the exercise with his operational team, the DC Office said.

The forces including the police and Rangers have been deployed to cordon off the affect localities to lock the areas down after completion of 36 hours for preparation time, sealing the entry and exit points of two sub-sectors of I/8-3 and I/8-4 and I-10/1 and I-10/2 with their relevant Commercial Centres (I/8 Markaz and I/10 Markaz) after a surge in coronavirus cases were reported from the localities.

“The law enforcement agencies including police and paramilitary forces are ready take control over the affected areas,” the people responsible to ensure strict surveillance, said.

“We got encouraging upshots of imposing lockdown in G-9 and Karachi Company as at initial stages, we obtained over 100 positive case of COVID-19 in one day. But within the exercise after four days lockdown, only 7 to 8 cases are reported,” the DC said, adding that the administration would lift the lockdown in the perspective of such encouraging outcome.

Hamza Shafqaat, while talking to the media people during his visit to I-8, said, “The list of hotspot areas are being compiled,” adding that Ghouri Town, Loi Bhir and G-10 are the areas that would be sealed after I-8 and I-10.

Earlier, G-6, I-10/1, I-10/4, G-9/3 and G-9/4 and G-9 Markaz (Karachi Company) have already been sealed, showing encouraging outcome, Shafqaat said.

The DC said the measure has been taken in the larger interest of the public and to contain the outbreak of coronavirus.

The areas currently under focus in Islamabad have turned out to be the hotspots for the viral infection in the federal capital as 23 out of the 100 tests conducted in those areas have emerged positive, the DC Office said.

Statistical figures of City District Administration of Islamabad indicate over 200 confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported in Sector I-8 in a single day on Monday (June 15) while in Sector I-10, more than 400 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported. Following these rising numbers of COVID-19, ICT Administration has decided to seal both the localities of the federal capital.

The Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad, said that according to the standard operating procedure (SOP), any residential area, where seven or more positive cases of coronavirus are reported, is temporarily sealed off and health teams, along with officials from the district administration, are put alert. The entire locality is then kept under surveillance for at least seven days.

“After the surveillance period is over, we shall make assessments of whether it is safe to remove the cordon or continue monitoring the areas,” the DC said.

Officials from the district administration, with the support of health teams, are currently involved in the surveillance of various residential and urban areas of Islamabad. They are also raising awareness among the people, particularly those living in the affected areas, on the importance of social distancing.

An official of the Islamabad administration disclosed that social distancing was not being strictly followed in most of the areas, resulting in the spread of the virus.

“Despite repeated warnings, awareness campaigns and even imposition of fines, people are not following SOPs as well as maintaining social distancing,” the official said. He said, though all shops and business centres were being closed at 5pm, yet, during the day, many people are seen standing close to one another outside banks or shelter homes to collect food, with little regard for social distancing.