Islamabad areas sealed as COVID-19 cases surge in federal capital

ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Islamabad have decided to seal three sectors in the federal capital by Sunday night and there are chances that more areas would go under lockdown owing to rising COVID-19 cases, ARY NEWS reported.  

Sharing a notification on his Twitter account regarding the closure, Deputy Commissioner Muhammed Hamza Shafqaat said that sectors F-11 (1), I-8 (4), and I-10 (2) would be sealed from tonight.

Notification of sealing of sub sectors in Islamabad pic.twitter.com/fvy5DyjpR1

— Muhammed Hamza Shafqaat (@hamzashafqaat) March 14, 2021

“These areas have collectively reported 152 COVID-19 cases,” he said adding that commercial areas and amusement parks in these areas would remain shut for three days a week (Friday, Saturday and Sunday),” he said.

He said that more areas could go under lockdown owing to the rising coronavirus cases.

“All NOCs for festivals and other public gatherings have been suspended while indoor gatherings would also be barred,” he said adding that indoor services were allowed but should not take more than two hours, with only at most 300 people invited in it.

It is pertinent to mention here that Federal Minister for Planning and Development and National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) head Asad Umar yesterday said that government may have to opt for another lockdown in parts of the country if there is a continued increase in coronavirus cases.

Asad Umar on Saturday chaired a meeting of NCOC to discuss the latest Covid situation in the country and implementation of coronavirus SOPs.

During the meeting, the forum expressed concern over rising coronavirus cases.

“The third wave of coronavirus has started in Pakistan and lockdown can be imposed in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to curb the spread of coronavirus,” warned the minister.

“The COVID-19 tests positivity ratio in the country has reached 6pc, which is alarming,” he added.