Islamabad: A heavy contingent of police and paramilitary forces, including Pakistan Rangers, on Thursday sealed all the entry and exit points of two sub-sectors of Islamabad I-10/1 and I-10/4 after a surge in coronavirus cases were reported.
According to a notification issued by the district magistrate of Islamabad, the measure has been taken in the larger interest of the public and to contain the outbreak of novel coronavirus.
The areas currently under focus in Islamabad have turned out to be the hotspots for the viral infection in the federal capital as 33 out of the 150 tests conducted in those areas have emerged positive.
Hamza Shafqaat, the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Islamabad, said that according to the standard operating procedure (SOP), any residential area, where seven or more positive cases of coronavirus are reported, is temporarily sealed off and health teams, along with officials from the district administration, are put alert. The entire locality is then kept under surveillance for at least seven days.
“After the surveillance period is over, we shall make assessments of whether it is safe to remove the cordon or continue monitoring the areas,” said Shafqaat.
With the latest positive cases, Islamabad has now registered a total of 316 positive cases of coronavirus, which is higher than the entire region of Pakistan Administered Kashmir, where 66 cases have been reported so far, and close to Gilgit Baltistan’s figures of 333.
Officials from the district administration, with the support of health teams, are currently involved in the surveillance of various residential and urban areas of Islamabad. They are also raising awareness among the people, particularly those living in the affected areas, on the importance of social distancing.
While speaking to Gulf News, an official revealed that social distancing was not being strictly followed in some of the areas, resulting in the spread of the virus.
“Despite repeated warnings, awareness campaigns and even imposition of fines, people are not following social distancing,” the official said. He added that though all shops and business centres were being closed at 5pm, yet, during the day, many people are seen standing close to one another outside banks or shelter homes to collect food, with little regard for social distancing.
