ISLAMABAD: The governments of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday issued mandatory instructions for all their subsidiaries on the occasion of Eidul Fitr to curb the spread of coronavirus.
In this regard, the respective governments have decided to increase the number and capacity of law enforcement agencies (LEAs) deployed at all entrances to the northern territories, Geo News reported.
The National Highway Authority (NHA) and the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) have been especially instructed to display special banners at the relevant toll plazas for public awareness.
In line with NCOC’s theme of “Stay Home, Stay Safe”, the respective governments have issued orders to close all tourist spots and hotels to restrict the movement of people during the Eid holidays, while the LEAs have been deployed at various tourist spots to ensure compliance.
The nine-day countrywide lockdown will be imposed tomorrow. All the shopping malls and public parks would also be closed from May 08-16. The private transport, taxi cabs and rickshaws, however, will be allowed with 50 percent occupancy.
Practically, the lockdown will be effective from 6:00pm on Friday (today) and will continue till May 16. In view of ban on movement of public transport, the people having no private vehicles, will also move from major cities like Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi to their native towns by Friday evening. By doing so, they will have to pay double of actual fare.
Meanwhile, at least 108 more people succumbed to the coronavirus in Pakistan during the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 18,537 as the country grapples with the third wave of coronavirus.
According to the official data provided by National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Thursday, 4,198 cases were reported as 46,467 tests were conducted across the country during the last 24 hours.
Punjab remains the worst-hit province by the pandemic, both in terms of cases reported as well as deaths followed by Sindh, KP and Balochistan. The highest death toll in the last 24 hours was in Punjab, with the province reporting 68 fatalities.
The government of Punjab has decided to impose a complete lockdown in the province from May 08-16, owing to the increasing number of coronavirus cases. The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major areas including Lahore at 69 percent, Multan 77 percent, Mardan 59 percent and Bahawalpur 58 percent. The maximum oxygen beds were also occupied in four major areas of Gujranwala with 55 percent, Swabi 67 percent, Peshawar 62 percent and Swat 57 percent.
Around 651 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country while no COVID affected person on ventilator in GB and Balochistan. Some 46,467 tests were conducted across the country on Wednesday, including 16,023 in Sindh, 16,762 in Punjab, 7,304 in KP, 4,199 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 1,015 in Balochistan, 372 in GB, and 792 in AJK. Around 743,124 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan, making it a significant count with over 90 percent recovery ratio of the affected patients.