No let up in Covid-19 cases while Rawalpindi residents crowd markets.

Byline: Aamir Yasin and Munawer Azeem

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD -- There has been no reprieve from the spread of Covid-19 in Rawalpindi after four more deaths and 52 more cases were reported on Tuesday. Meanwhile, people appear to have thrown caution to the wind, crowding markets while the district administration and police appear helpless before traders.

A 52-year-old man who lived in Khayaban-i-Sir Syed died of Covid-19 on Tuesday. He had been admitted to the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) on April 23.

A 40-year-old man who lived in Dhoke Bohar Shah Kalyal also died, a week after he was admitted to Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) on May 5. In addition, a 65-year-old man who lived in Dheri Hassanabad and was admitted to a military hospital on May 11 died a day later, as did a 72-year-old resident of Harley Street brought to BBH on May 11.

Rawalpindi now has at least 1,291 Covid-19 patients, of which 59 have died and 292 have recovered. At present, 940 people are being treated in hospitals and 419 are isolated in their homes.

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The local administration has quarantined 2,028 people who were in close contact with confirmed patients, of which 1,609 are quarantined in their homes.

There has been a marked rise in the number of cases reported in Rawalpindi district compared to the neighbouring districts of Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal. There were 10 patients reported in these three districts in the last two days and 140 reported during the same period in Rawalpindi.

While Covid-19 cases and deaths continue to rise, the number of visitors to markets led to traffic congestion on downtown roads, and social distancing was nowhere to be seen in the narrow streets of Raja Bazaar.

The government has not allowed large shopping malls to open, but markets that have been permitted to resume operations have drawn crowds and traders who had assured the local administration that all the necessary safety measures would be implemented have not done so.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that the government has asked the district administration to ensure standard operating procedures (SOP) are enforced in markets to contain the spread of Covid-19.

He said special instructions have been issued for markets, and in the event of violations the government would revise its decision to keep these markets open.

Mr Mehmood said the number of Covid-19 patients has...