More cases surface in AJK as govt re-imposes lockdown.

Byline: Tariq Naqash

MUZAFFARABAD -- As 20 more Covid-19 patients surfaced in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Monday, government officials said the decision to suspend relaxations in lockdown was 'need of the hour'.

'Ironically, people failed to follow precautions during relaxations in the lockdown which is why positive cases are popping up in big number,' said minister for information technology Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbasi, who is spokesperson for the government, at his regular online media briefing.

According to him, violation of standard operating procedure (SOP) by the shopkeepers and shoppers alike at all major markets across AJK had greatly dented concerted efforts by the government to contain the pandemic and subsequently necessitated withdrawal of relaxations.

'The way positive cases have started occurring this decision [to re-impose lockdown] has become need of the hour.'

The minister told mediamen that of the fresh 20 cases, 19 were the contacts of a dispenser at a private clinic in Muzaffarabad who had tested positive a few days ago while one belonged to Mirpur.

The fresh positive cases had pushed up AJK's tally to 132, he said, adding that 51 of them were from Muzaffarabad, 19 from Mipur, 16 from Bhimber, 14 from Kotli, 13 from Poonch, 11...