Virus cases reduce by 90pc in area under lockdown.

Byline: Ikram Junaidi

ISLAMABAD -- The enforcement of smart lockdown has begun to bear fruit as it was revealed on Wednesday that the number of coronavirus cases reduced by 90 per cent in an area of the federal capital which was sealed on March 13.

'Around 100 cases were being reported daily from Sector G-9, but after enforcement of smart lockdown the number of cases has reduced to 8-9 per day. It is nothing but benefit of the lockdown as the movement of people has been minimised,' Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqat told the media.

He said no one was being allowed to unnecessarily go inside or outside the area under lockdown and even movement was being discouraged to reduce the chances of human to human transmission of the deadly virus.

Meanwhile, 5,785 new cases of Covid-19 and 133 deaths were reported across the country over the past 24 hours, taking the national tally of cases to 157,738 and casualties to 3,033.

5,785 Covid-19 cases, 133 deaths reported in 24 hours; certain parts of Karachi to go under lockdown today

Pakistan Medical Association secretary general Dr Qaiser Sajjad, while talking to Dawn, insisted that recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) should be implemented to minimise the spread of Covid-18.

It is worth mentioning that the WHO has suggested intermittent lockdown [15 days off and 15 days on] to stop the transmission of the virus.

Dr Sajjad said that at least the whole cities should be locked to contain the transmission of the viral disease, otherwise the country night never be able to get rid of it. 'Virus cannot be eradicated by enforcement of lockdowns in some areas of the cities as people will find ways to cross the areas and reach the places of work and may violate restrictions for other reasons. If the whole city is locked, people will have no reason to move out of the area under lockdown,' he explained.

He said that some countries like New Zealand had got rid of the virus by imposing lockdown and Pakistan should also focus on it.

'Moreover, heavy fines should be imposed on violators as majority of people either don't wear masks or they just hang them in the neck or keep them on the chin. Rulers...

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