Coronavirus spread: Smart lockdown enforced in 7 areas of Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Seven areas in the provincial capital were placed under smart lockdown on Friday and police were directed to restrict movement in these areas to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the second wave across the country.

A notification issued by the district administration stated that the localities placed under lockdown included a street in Defence Officers Colony, Sahibzada Road in University Town, one street on the Ishrat Cinema Road in Gulbahar, parts of Doranpur, a few houses in Phase-II and Phase-VII in Hayatabad and some area on the Fort Road in Saddar. The administration and police were ordered to restrict movement at entry and exit points to these areas of Peshawar. The authorities introduced the idea of smart lockdown by restricting general entry to specific areas after increase in cases of coronavirus in parts of the country. The business activities as well as gatherings in these areas will be closed. Only shops of medicines and essential food items are allowed to stay open in these areas. Police contingents were deployed in these localities to stop the entry of the general public. The cops perform duty round-the-clock in shifts to ensure the lockdown.

Apart from Peshawar, parts of other cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and rest of the country have also been placed under the lockdown following an increase in cases of Covid-19 and death of a growing number of people due to the virus. Though the cases of Covid-19 are rising fast in the second wave for the last many weeks, the markets, public places, schools, wedding halls and other places remain crowded. A huge majority of the people neither wears mask nor follows social distancing or other SOPs to prevent the spread of Corona.

The administration of schools, wedding halls, offices and some stores follow few of the SOPs but the majority of the people are yet to take the second wave of Covid seriously.