Public paying little heed to coronavirus SOPs

Islamabad : The residents, in general, are paying no heed to the directives of the district administration to wear face masks in the public places despite rising cases of coronavirus in the capital city.

The district administration is still publicizing its decision using all available media platforms and trying to aware the residents about the intensity of the situation in the face of coronavirus pandemic.

The survey conducted by this correspondent revealed that a large majority of visitors in the markets, bazaars, and the commercial areas were seen roaming around without wearing face mask.

The shopkeepers who have displayed posters at entry points of their shops reading instructions for the visitors to use face mask appeared reluctant to follow these directions.

The situation was also not different in the public transport where drivers, conductors, and passengers mostly ignored the instructions of the district administration regarding the use of face mask.

When a shopkeeper was asked why he was not wearing face mask he stated “There is some kind of ventilation problem inside the shop so we cannot consistently use face mask. But I personally think that everyone should use it to control the pandemic.”

Most of the visitors at Rose and Jasmine Garden were seen walking on tracks without wearing face masks. Similarly, very few of the people who visited Shalimar Ground were wearing face masks while walking on the round track.

Umair Arshad, a visitor at Rose and Jasmine Garden, said “We came here to have some walk on the track. It will be quite difficult for us to breathe normally if we wear face masks. So these instructions should not be implemented in walking or jogging areas.”

The health experts have warned that the people must follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) otherwise the coronavirus cases may rise to an alarming level.