The local government makes a smart lockdown in four areas in Peshawar after Coviod-19 positivity increased. Peshawar deputy commissioner, Khalid Mehmud, announced in the notification that the smart locks for 9th Street, Sector E II, 5th Street, Sector FV, Phase IV, 3rd Street, Gulbahar No. 4 and 4 have been introduced at 11 Colonia Street for defense.
He said entry and exit points in the zone would remain restricted and only those who provided residents with basic necessities, medicine, food, and water would be allowed in during this smart lockdown.
Crowds are not allowed, and those who violate the restrictions will face action, in the notice said. Officials will make recommendations on how to implement SOPs in their strictest form at the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC) meeting on Monday (today).
Health dept to seek permission for strict implementation of SOPs after surging in Covid-19 cases
“Chief Secretary Dr. Kazim Niaz would put recommendations before NCOC to ensure the strict enforcement of SOP during smart lockdown,” the officials said. They added that according to national policies, every region with a Covid-19 positive of more than 10 percent requires certain actions such as closing schools, hotels, and wedding halls because the transmission of the coronavirus shows an increasing trend.
“The secretary general will seek permission from the NCOC to close shops after 06:00 pm in four areas and hotels are only allowed to import. We want a ban on wedding halls,” the official said. They said the provincial government would also seek NCOC approval so the government could increase sanctions for SOP violations to help control the spread of the virus.
“If the NCOC accepts our proposal, the relevant deputy commissioner will be asked by the government to ensure that the proposal is implemented,” the official said. They added that vaccination for seniors aged 60 and over will continue in 280 health centers across the province.
High percentage coronavirus areas
“Charsadda, Nowshera, and Kohat are the three areas with positivity rates above five percent. The most cases trends are worrying. That is why we recommend smart blocks and other measures to the secretary general to stop transmission of the virus,” the official said.
Nowshera, Mardan, and Swabi reported two deaths, while Peshawar continues to record most of the new cases. The provincial capital has found 192 new patients for a total of 31,074.
Read more: The third wave of Covid-19 started in Pakistan, Asad Umar
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded six deaths and 368 cases of Covid-19 as of Sunday. According to a Health Ministry report, the number of pandemic deaths in the province was 2,150 with 76,104 cases. The province currently has 3,290 active coronavirus patients.
So far, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 70,655 recoveries from infection. While 141 other people have recovered from the virus in 24 hours, according to a health department report.
Vaccination of elderly has been slow as less than 3,000 people in the province have received vaccine since March 10.
The secretary general said the vaccination rate was very low. We receive an average of 500 people per day for vaccination, the number should increase. He said people registered with the NCOC after dialing 1166 and get a four-digit number so they could be vaccinated.
Furthermore, he say that vaccinating people without registration is not allowed. In addition, he said, that people should be motivated to get vaccinated. This is the only way to prevent further cases and deaths. In the third wave of the pandemic which is already underway.
