Lockdown imposed in different localities in Karachi's Keamari district

KARACHI: The local authorities have imposed micro-smart lockdown in different localities of Karachi’s Keamari District due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

A notification has been issued regarding the imposition of lockdown from Tuesday mid-night to 12:00 mid-night of August 9 in two union councils (UCs) of Baldia Town, one area of UC 4 and three specific neighbourhoods of UC 5.

In the COVID-19 hotspot areas, the administration will strictly implement the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to curb the spread of the virus.

READ: NUMBER OF CRITICAL COVID PATIENTS IN KARACHI REACHES HIGHEST-EVER LEVEL: NCOC

Wearing face masks has been declared mandatory by the local administration in these areas.

The movement of people residing in areas under the smart lockdown shall be strictly restricted and all family and other gatherings will remain banned in these areas. However, the employees of institutions providing utility services will be exempted from the lockdown restrictions.

The notification also read that those who tested positive will spend their isolation period until testing negative for the novel coronavirus.

READ: KARACHI HOSPITALS RUN OUT OF SPACE AS DELTA VARIANT SPREADS

Earlier in the day, the spokesman for the provincial government Murtaza Wahab warned of imposing a strict lockdown amid a fourfold increase in COVID cases in Sindh during the last 30 days.

Addressing a press conference after the COVID task force meeting headed by CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah, Murtaza Wahab said that on 26 June, COVID cases in the province stood at 511.

“After a period of 30 days, we have witnessed a fourfold increase and it reached 2,153 on 26 July,” he said and warned that the province was not able to deal with the situation if COVID cases continued a similar upward trajectory.

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He shared that overall 5.4 million people have been vaccinated in the Sindh province including 3.2 million in Karachi.

“This is however very low as compared to Britain, UAE, and the UK where 60 per cent population is being vaccinated,” he said and shared that the province has opened walk-in vaccination centres at various places to facilitate the general public.

He rubbished aside propaganda against vaccination and said that even he and other government functionaries have received the double dose of the COVID vaccine.

READ: OVER 26PC COVID POSITIVITY RATIO IN KARACHI ALARMS SINDH GOVT

He said that the government was asking for nothing but cooperation from the general public in dealing with the pandemic. “Kindly wear masks and avoid outing with elders and children to minimize the risk of getting infected,” he said.

He said that if the situation persists and people refuse to vaccinate themselves and adopt COVID SOPs, then they had to take tough decisions.

“No one should then criticize the government’s decision to impose a lockdown,” Murtaza Wahab said and warned against holding ceremonies at marriage halls secretly and said that orders for strict action against such elements are being conveyed to commissioner Karachi.