KARACHI: Authorities in Pakistan’s commercial capital, Karachi, enforced strict lockdowns in different neighborhoods that were designated by them as COVID-19 hotspots to reduce the spread of virus and decrease the alarming rate of infection in the city, a senior official confirmed while talking to Arab News on Thursday
“We enforced smart lockdowns in all the notified areas from 7 pm today,” Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shalwani informed. “The restrictions have been placed for two weeks and will hopefully slow down the virus spread.”
Explaining the administrative approach further, he said: “These areas were selected on the basis of numerical data. We identified them due to the high number of coronavirus cases and may add more residential neighborhoods to our list if infections increase in other parts of the city.”
The commissioner maintained that if COVID-19 carriers were currently spreading the virus to ten people, smart lockdowns would reduce it to four -- thereby significantly bringing down the rate of infection.
According to an official notification about the imposition of smart lockdowns in the city, the movement of people residing in the coronavirus hotspots will be strictly restricted, and anyone entering or exiting these areas will be required to wear a mask without exception.
The notification also maintains that all industrial units in locked down areas will remain close.
The authorities have only allowed grocery stores and pharmacies to operate in these neighborhoods, and only one person from each household will be able to visit the shops.
Apart from that, residents of these areas will not be allowed to order food from restaurants since home delivery will not be an option for them during the lockdown period.
Pakistan reported more than 160,000 coronavirus cases on Thursday morning. According to an official handout circulated by the provincial administration of Sindh in the evening, the country’s most densely populated city of Karachi reported 1,719 new COVID-19 cases during the day with 44 related deaths.
'Smart lockdown' imposed in Karachi's COVID-19 hotspots to curb virus spread
https://arab.news/ghpmk
'Smart lockdown' imposed in Karachi's COVID-19 hotspots to curb virus spread
- The coronavirus hotspots in the city were identified on the basis of numerical data, says the commissioner
- Karachi reported 1,719 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday evening with 44 related deaths
Pakistan warns of landslides, avalanche in hilly areas, urges caution
- At least nine people were killed when an avalanche struck a house in Chitral district this week
- Heavy snowfall may trigger road closures in several areas from Jan. 26 to 27, Met Office says
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Sunday warned of possible landslides and avalanches in hilly regions in the country’s north, urging residents, travelers and tourists to exercise caution.
Cloudy weather with intermittent rain, thunderstorm and snowfall is expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and upper Punjab, while heavy rain with moderate to intense snowfall are likely in hilly areas on Jan. 26-27. Rain or thunderstorms are also likely in southern Punjab and upper Sindh during this period.
Heavy snowfall may cause road closure, slippery conditions in Naran, Kaghan, Dir, Swat, Kalam, Chitral, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Shangla, Astore, Hunza, Skardu, Murree, Galliyat, Neelum valley, Bagh, Poonch, Haveli, Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Pishin, Qilla Abdullah, Qilla Saifullah, Noushki, Harnai and Zhob, according to the PMD.
“[There is a] possibility of the landslides/avalanche in hilly areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and [Azad] Kashmir during the period,” the Met Office said in a statement.
“Tourists are advised to remain extra cautious and avoid unnecessary traveling during the forecast period.”
The PMD statement came two days after at least nine people were killed while an injured child was rescued after an avalanche struck a house in KP’s Chitral district, according to officials.
Rescuers evacuated dozens of residents and tourists as heavy snow blocked roads in Khyber, South Waziristan and Swat districts, where authorities cleared routes and provided food, clothing and bedding, the Rescue 1122 service said.
Tens of thousands of tourists flock to Pakistan’s scenic north every winter to witness snowfall, often neglecting warnings from disaster management authorities.
In Jan. 2022, at least 21 people, including children, died after they were stuck in freezing temperatures during a snowstorm in the Pakistani hill station of Murree.
