ISLAMABAD: Federal Capital is facing a surge in COVID-19 cases during last a few days which has prompted its local administration to adopt some remedial measures including possibilities of imposing partial lockdown during Eid-ul-Azha holidays to curb spread of deadly virus.
Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has already sealed some areas in different localities under its smart lockdown strategy as positivity rate in the capital city has touched 5 per cent mark from less than one percent a few weeks ago.
“People have been showing leniency in observing the anti-coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs), ” said Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, Hamza Shafqaat on Monday.
Talking to reporter, he said if the situation remained same and spread of the Delta variant would continue to rise, it would left the administration with a little option, but to impose partial lockdown.
With reports of Delta variant cases, he said the district administration had stepped up efforts and launched new safety measures to prevent its further spread. “We have started imposing smart lockdown in the areas from where the new patients of this variants reported to hospitals, ” he added.
He said the ICT admin teams in collaboration with health authorities and others had so far sealed street 13 Qartaba Town, Khanna, Street 18 G-11/2, Street 19 F-6/3, Street 24 G-7/2, Street 29 Block H, Soan Garden, Kips Academy PWD and Islamabad Model School for Boys F-8/3.
The DC maintained that strict implementation of health guidelines were being ensured in restaurants, tourist spots and public transport, adding over 25 shops including restaurants with no vaccinated staff were sealed recently.
He said vaccination certificates of people coming to restaurants and shopping malls were also being checked, besides imposing heavy fines to the SOPs violators.
To a query, he said over 700, 000 residents in the federal capital got Covid-19 jabs while vaccination process had been expedited to achieve the target of 1 million by August this year.
Meanwhile, District Health Officer (DHO), Dr Zaeem Zia, in a COVID-19 advisory said the citizens should observe all the SOPs regarding prevention of COVID-19 during the Eid days.
“Citizens should avoid crowded places as much as possible, ” he said while recommending shopping and sale and purchase from only those Bazaars and cattle markets which had been observing precautionary measures in the letter and spirit.
Zia said only vaccinated individuals were advised to visit the cattle markets so that they could keep their families safe. Wear masks and keep hand sanitizers along during travel and visit to cattle markets, he added.
The DHO said all the centres in Islamabad were fully functional and providing vaccination services to all the eligible persons. Individuals with second dose due were also advised to get their vaccination completed.
Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on the CDA Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan announced addition of 46 new vaccination units to facilitate rural population in the city.
In a news release, he said that the government had established a parallel system for vaccination to already existing one of health department to make sure that people of Islamabad can get their COVID-19 vaccine jabs in hassle free way.
23 each new static units and mobile units were operational in different union councils and other areas to boost vaccination campaign, he added.
It may be mentioned here that the district administration had imposed multiple curbs during Eid-ul-Fitr holidays like closure of picnic spots and others to curb the virus in an effective way. However, the strategy reaped desired results with the positivity rate witnessed substantial decline.
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