Zubair Qureshi
The district health authorities sealed six schools because of emergence of new coronavirus cases. Among these include the Islamabad Model School (IMS) for Girls in G-9/1, IMCG Rawal Town, four private schools in G-8/1, F-8/4, G-7/2 and in Sihala.
According to the District Health Officer of the federal capital, Dr Zaeem Zia, Islamabad so far 74 schools, colleges and universities have been sealed in the federal capital due to the novel coronavirus.
On Monday, the federal capital reported 119 new cases of coronavirus taking the total number of cases to 20,089. However the city did not report any death and the toll remained at 222.
According to the National Health Service Ministry, the number of active cases in Islamabad 1,600 while the positivity ratio is a disturbing figure of 4.5pc. The authorities conducted a total of 2,608 tests in one day while the number of recovered cases in last twenty-four hours was 52 with 91pc recovery rate.
“Section 144 on masks is now applicable to enclosed public spaces (offices, public transport, hospitals, restaurants, shops etc). It is not applicable inside houses, cars, open areas, parks. However, it is advised to practice extreme vigilance as Covid-19 is on the rise in Islamabad,” Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat stated on Twitter.
So far, four people have been arrested, 117 inspections carried out and shops fined Rs21,500, he said. In addition, 10 mosques, 14 wedding halls and 25 restaurants have been checked and a restaurant has been sealed. The month of October has seen a drastic increase in Covid-19 cases in Islamabad as there were 39 cases reported on Oct 1, and 23 on Oct 4. However, by Oct 8, 113 cases were reported in the city, rising to 155 by Oct 14.
There were 186 cases reported on Oct 23, and the last day of the month reported 224 cases.
There are 1,538 active cases of Covid-19 in the capital. So far, 91pc of patients have recovered and 222 patients have died. In all, 19,970 cases have been reported in the city.
Meanwhile, the reopening of Islamabad educational institutions sealed after the detection of Covid-19 is yet to be decided.
The Islamabad Model College for Boys in G-10/4 was sealed on Oct 16, and the capital administration issued a notification stating it would reopen on Oct 24. However, the college has yet to be unsealed.
The college’s focal person, Associate Professor Mohammad Riaz Anjum, told the media although it was decided that the college would open on Oct 24, they have to receive a final date. According to the DHO, rising cases certainly are a reason to be worried. The severity can be seen in increased hospitalizations, rising test positivity and the rising death rate – IT’s all very concerning and we are taking necessary steps to control it definitely, said Dr Zia in a twitter post.
