Zubair Qureshi
Out of 2.2 million population of Islamabad, around 50,000 are either in the lockdown or experiencing restrictions in movement or normal course of living as eight subsectors and residential areas as well as adjacent localities of Islamabad are under strict lockdown.
Not only those living in these areas are restricted within their houses, the businessmen, traders and workers who daily came to these sectors for work are also facing difficulties in approaching their respective places of work.
In the coming days, sector G-8 which is also on the radar of the district administration is most likely to be sealed, said an official of the Islamabad Capital Territory Authority (ICT).
Islamabad on Friday witnessed 11,918 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 119 deaths that is higher than the total number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Balochistan (9,946 and 109), a province of over 12 million population.
According to the district administration the strict lockdown measures are though causing inconvenience for the residents, yet their results are quite promising and the areas sealed are reporting 70% less coronavirus cases as compared to the number before the lockdown.
Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad Hamza Shafqaat while talking to media said a total of 110,560 people have been tested in Islamabad as daily around 3,000 tests are being conducted in Islamabad. There are 5752 active cases in Islamabad, 119 have died unfortunately while 66 percent of those who died were above 60 of age, he said. Of this number 5 percent who died were below 40 years of age. Of all who died 33% are women. At present our major concern is to stop disease spread before Eid-al-Adha and it is going to be a huge challenge for us.
Restricting people from interacting interact or buying sacrificial animals is almost impossible. Similarly, enforcing SOPs in a market of 70,000 animals is also impossible.
The DC requested the people to restrict their Eid Shopping, particularly the purchase of sacrificial animal and keep the affair as simple and brief as possible.
Shafqaat said that lockdowns in 10 areas of the capital and a few other localities led to reduction in the spread of the virus and therefore in fewer daily cases.
Standard operating procedures (SOP) to limit the spread are also being enforced, and so far the administration has imposed Rs177,300 in fines on individuals who are not wearing masks or practicing social distancing.
