Tariq Saeed
Peshawar
As the Novel Corona virus continues to be spreading with alarming increase in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in general and the provincial metropolis in particular, the Peshawar administration on Friday imposed smart lockdown in over a dozen localities in the town in an attempt to contain the further spread of the deadly pandemic that has so for eaten up around 1600 people and effected around 57000 people in the province.
On the other hand at least two people, who recently returned from the United Kingdom, that has announced detection of new and lethal stain of the COVID-19, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
District administration and medics said keeping in view the rising number of COVID-19 cases amid the second wave of the virus, the they were left with no options but impose a smart lockdown Friday in several localities of Peshawar.
According to a notification issued by the district administration, several areas of the city have been declared as coronavirus hotspots and put under lockdown with immediate effect. Dozens of localities that have been put under smart lockdown are in Tajabad, Sadiqabad, Qamber Khel, Darmangi and many streets of in posh area Hayatabad Township.
With almost 20 more people succumbing to the novel coronavirus had died during the past 48 hours in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the total death toll rose to 1600 in the province. According to the statistics issued by the KP health department, 331 more people had tested positive for the COVID-19 overnight, bringing the total number of the cases to 56875.
In the meanwhile as many as two persons, who recently returned from the United Kingdom, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Health bosses said a total of 149 passengers have recently arrived in the province from Britain yet the government has traced 44 people and 32 of their contacts. Another 54 passengers have been identified across seven districts including Peshawar, Swabi and Noshehra. The district administration has been tasked to trace them. The sources said adding the government has been unable to trace 46 people because they provided incorrect residential address. “In the first batch of testing, four people tested negative while results of 25 passengers are awaited,” the health official said.
The SARS-CoV-2 was identified in two passengers who have been quarantined. One of the patients has been identified in Peshawar while the other is in Abbottabad.
