Smart lockdown extended in COVID-19 hotspots in West, South and Malir districts

After the smart lockdown in different areas of the city ended on July 2, a new smart lockdown has been imposed in District West, South and Malir.

According to sources from the Commissioner Office, the East and Central deputy commissioners (DCs) have refused to impose any smart lockdown in their jurisdictions, whereas, the Korangi (DC) had not taken any decision in this regard till the filing of the story.

Speaking to The News, District Central Deputy Commissioner Farhan Ghani said that COVID-19 patients were scattered in the entire District Central and a lockdown could not be imposed at once in the huge area of the district. “Wherever we’ll see cluster of coronavirus positive patients, we’ll impose a smart lockdown in those areas,” he said, adding that he had been focusing on enforcing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the normal lockdown regime, under which the markets were supposed to be closed by 7pm.

For this purpose, he said he had been paying visits to main streets of District Central after 7pm daily to make sure that all the markets were closed. As for the markets in internal areas, he said, a strict action would be taken against them if they were found violating the governmental SOPs.

District East Deputy Commissioner Ahmed Ali and District Korangi Deputy Commissioner Sheharyar Gull did not respond when contacted by The News. According to a statement issued by the Commissioner Office, Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani has ordered the imposition of smart lockdown in areas spotted as hotspots of COVID-19 in the city.

As many as six neighbourhoods in Karachi’s District West are now under the smart lockdown. They include Gadap’s UC-5 Songal (Gulshan-e-Maymar Blocks X, Y and Z), Keamari’s UC-3 Keamari (Docks and Majeed Colony), Baldia UC-5 Saeedabad (Block 5G, 5J and A3), SITE UC-4 Metroville (Blocks 1,2,3,4 and 5), Orangi’s UC-11 Data Nagar (Area A/B) and Orangi’s UC-12 Mujahid Colony (Millatabad and Gullamabad Aligarh Colony).

In District South, Civil Lines (Khayaban-e-Rahat, Clifton Block 4, 5 and Bath Island localities), Arambagh (Khori Garden and Machi Miyani market in Kharadar), Garden (Jeelani Masjid Road, Hari Masjid Road, Shoe Market and Doli Khata), Lyari (Madni Road Moosa Lane) and Saddar (Bizerta Line) are under the smart lockdown.

In District Malir, UC-6 Gulshan-e-Hadeed’s Phases I and II, and a subdivision of Bin Qasim are to remain under the smart lockdown.

The neighbourhoods of District West were to be sealed from midnight on July 3 till 7pm on July 17. Meanwhile, the aforementioned areas of District Malir would be under the lockdown for only five days i.e. from July 3 to July 7. In District South, the lockdown would be in place till 12am on July 16.

According to the notifications from District West, District Malir and District South, during the smart lockdown, movement is restricted and masks are mandatory for anyone entering or exiting the hotspot areas. Pillion riding and all sorts of public transport including ride-hailing services would also not be allowed to operate in those areas.

Only grocery stores and pharmacies will be allowed to remain open and only one person per household could leave their house to buy food or medicines. All kinds of industrial units falling in these areas will remain closed.

The government has also been trying to set up mobile dispensaries and mobile utility stores in these areas. All other businesses and industrial units in these areas would be closed and there would also be no home delivery or takeaway. No private or family get-togethers would be allowed as well.