In a bid to curtail the surging numbers of coronavirus that have climbed up drastically in the present month, Karachi’s administrator Iftikhar Shallwani has proposed a fine of Rs1,000 for those who do not wear a mask in public places. “Covid-19 cases have started rising in the country, especially in Karachi, so in order to contain the infectious disease, we have once again proposed an Rs1,000 fine for all those would don’t wear a mask in public places,” said Shallwani. Speaking at the launch of the Dr Essa Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Centre at a local hotel, Shallwani revealed that they had first proposed fining those not wearing a mask in public places back in March or April – when COVID-19 cases had started rising locally – however, the proposal was rejected at that time. Shallwani maintained that they have again forwarded the proposal to the Sindh government to save people from the second wave of the infectious disease. The coronavirus cases have increased during the past few days and the authorities have once again urged the masses to abide by the standard operating procedures. Federal Minister for Planning and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has noted that the coronavirus cases remain “extremely high in Karachi”, and are rising in other cities including Lahore and Islamabad. Taking to Twitter on Thursday, the minister warned that it is high time that everybody starts taking the precautionary measures seriously as the public’s negligence might prompt the government to take serious measures that might adversely affect the livelihoods of the people.
