Covid-19 spread feared as implementation of SOPs fails in twin cities

The district administrations of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have failed to ensure implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) devised for controlling the spread of the Covid-19 at grocery stores, pharmacies and fruit and vegetable market, which may result into further spread of the deadly coronavirus.

The district administrations of both the cities on March 24 imposed a lockdown and ordered closure of all kinds of shops except medical stores/pharmacies, bakeries, meat, milk shops, and grocery stores as well as fruit and vegetable market.

The administration after imposing lockdown on both the cities conducted raids in some markets to implement the SOPs but now they do not visit markets to check the implementation of the SOPs or take action against the violators due to which open violation of the SOPs is taking place.

The SOPs included that every shop will ensure provision of masks and sanitizers to its staff and clients.

The salesman will keep distance of six feet among them.

Similarly, the clients will keep distance of two feet from the counter. The clients will also keep six feet distance among them in and outside the shops.

Similarly, queues will be made with six feet distance between each client.

Like other parts of the country, majority of the shops in the major markets in both the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi including Aabpara, Karachi Company, Peshawar Mor, F-6 and F-7, I-8, G-10 Markaz, Commercial Market, Raja Bazaar, Pindora as well as several other smaller markets remained close.

Huge rush of motorists was witnessed on various roads of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad despite lockdown.

Police only restricted the movement of motorcyclists and did not stop motorists at police pickets.

The number of coronavirus cases rose in the federal capital on Tuesday to 131, bringing the country's tally of the Covid-19 infectees to 5,716, according to the official data.

According to the official data, Punjab has 2,826 cases followed by Sindh 1,452, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 800, Balochistan 231, Gilgit-Baltistan 233, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) 43.

Till the filling of this report, 1,378 coronavirus patients had recovered, and 96 had died across the country.

Meanwhile, the teams of the district administration have continued disinfection spray in various localities of the cities especially in those areas from where coronavirus positive cases were reported during the last few days.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) has handed over 250 personal protective equipment (PPE) suits to the Islamabad police.

These suits were formally handed over to the Additional Superintendent of Police, Farhat Abbas Kazmi, by the Vice President ICCI, Saifur Rehman Khan.