ICT Admin Closes Many COVID-19 Hotspot Streets, Educational Institutions

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Oct, 2020 ) :Many COVID-19 hotspot streets and educational institutions in the Federal capital have been shuttered down for the second time in a bid to curb the second spike in coronavirus cases and to avoid its further spread.

On the direction of Ministry of National Health Services, the district administration of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) has started smart lockdown in different streets to reduce transmission of the infection in selected streets and other sectors of Islamabad.

According to an official of the administration, the district administration of the ICT also continued surprise visits of educational institutions today in the federal capital to examine observance of the coronavirus related standard operating procedures (SOPs).

After reporting of three cases of COVID-19 from Islamabad Model College for Girls (IMCG), F-10/2, the district health officer Islamabad has advised to immediately close the campus premises for a period till further intimation.

He also directed to conduct thorough disinfection activities as per the guidelines issued by the health ministry.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 testing of all the exposed staff and students must be performed and adherence to the SOP's must be ensured.

He directed that all the close contacts of the cases must be quarantined for a period of 14 days.

The district administration of Islamabad has already closed some streets for being identified as COVID-19 hot spots included Street 46 F-11/3, Street 23 F-11/2, Street 58 I-8/2, Street 57 I-8/3, Street 91 I-8/4, Street 10 Block D Media Town, Street 12 I-10/2, Street 33 G-11/2, Street 30 Pakistan Town Phase 1 and Street 35, G-6/2 Only people with jobs in essential services and with negative COVID-19 certificate will be allowed to leave. Health teams will complete TTQ and give clearance for opening up while assistant commissioners will coordinate for making sure all arrangements in place.

The local administration also started taking actions on violation of SOPs related with the Corona while visiting marriage halls, markets and petrol pumps by its inspection teams. The administration also sealed schools, shops, workshops and restaurants on the violation of SOPs.

The inspection teams also issued notices to marriage halls besides imposing fines on owners of different shops.

Commenting on the situation, an official of Ministry of National health Services said several local level administrative decisions are made to control the disease.

He advised the citizens to continue following the social distancing, use of mask and other precautionary measures to stop increasing local transmission of COVID-19 in the federal capital.

He said the government has adopted effective strategy to combat COVID-19 that resulted reduction in the corona cases in the country.

He said the main focus of the strategy is to control the disease on one hand and maintaining business activities of small and poor traders on the other hand.

He said all possible measures are adopted to control COVID-19 to avoid further load on already burdened health system of the country.

He said strategies are made to control corona keeping in view the global information, focusing on data with integration of local data in the scientific way.

He said the ministry had also asked the schools administrations of the ICT to strictly monitor the SOPs to ensure protection of students from COVID-19.

He said all schools have been clearly directed to strictly follow the SOPs announced by the government like social distancing, hand sanitizing or washing, wearing of face mask etcetera.

He asked the parents to regularly observe their school going children and in case of any illness avoid sending them school while teachers should also observe children's health on daily basis.

Meanwhile, National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) on Coronavirus Monday said 91 new COVID-19 cases have been reported from the federal capital during last 24 hours.

An official of the NCOC said as many as 157 cases were reported last day while 186 cases on Saturday which was highest number of cases reported in a day during October.

He said so far 19,012 cases were reported with 212 deaths from the ICT while 17,454 patients were recovered completely.

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