ISLAMABAD: The number of COVID-19 cases continued to surge in the Federal Capital, as 186 new corona cases were reported in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) during the last 24 hours, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said on Friday.

According to an NCOC official, as many as 146 new corona cases were reported on Thursday and 166 on Wednesday.

He said so far 37,888 cases were reported from the Federal Capital, with 419 deaths. Some 34,410 patients had recovered completely.

Meanwhile on the direction of Ministry of National Health Services, the ICT district administration continued smart lockdowns in different streets of the capital to reduce transmission of the infection.

The inspection teams also started taking actions on violation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) related with the corona while visiting marriage halls, markets and petrol pumps.

The administration also sealed schools, shops, workshops and restaurants on violation of the SOPs.

The teams also issued notices to marriage hall owners, besides imposing fines on different shopkeepers.

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

He advised the citizens to continue following the social distancing, use of masks and other precautionary measures to stop increasing local transmission of COVID-19 in the city. He said the government had adopted an effective strategy to combat COVID-19 that resulted reduction in corona cases in the country.

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

He said the ministry had also asked the administrations of public and private organizations functioning in the ICT to strictly monitor the SOPs to ensure protection of their employees from the COVID-19.