The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration had imposed partial lockdown in the city on March 24 closing shops, markets, shopping centers, and offices except for emergency service, in a desperate move to curb the surging Covid-19 cases but the restrictions were relaxed in the city after April 15, following a government decision to allow some businesses and factories to resume their work.

According to officials, the number of Covid-19 cases surged after the exemption given to some businesses from lockdown in the middle of last month.

The total cases of Covid-19 increased up to 558 after 37 more cases on Friday.

According to the official data, the number of Covid-19 cases surged from 521 reported on Thursday last (May 7) to 558.

According to official data, on May 7, the number of Covid-19 cases rose to 521 from 485 on April 6.

On May 5, total cases in the city were 464, May 4, 415, May 3, 393, on May 2, 365 and May 1, 343. Out of total 558 cases, 72 patients have so far recovered and four people have died.

The main hotspots of the capital including Sector I-10 with 46 cases, Bara Kahu 39 cases, Tarlai 38 cases, I-8 32 cases, and Lohi Bhair 32 cases.

Similarly, 25 cases have been reported from Sector G-11, 24 from Sector G-8, 23 from Sector G-6, 21 from Sector H-9, 20 from Sector G-13, 18 from Sector G-10, 17 from Sector G-7, 17 from Sector F-7, another 17 from Sector H-11, 17 from Shehzad Town, 16 cases from I-9, 14 from Sector G-9, 12 from Sector F-6, 12 from Sector H-13, 12 from Sohan, 11 from Rawal Town, and nine from Sector E-11.

Total number of suspected cases in capital is 2,037.

Meanwhile, the administration has decided that the Covid-19 patients who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms will be isolated at home.

In this regard, a standard operating procedure (SOP) has been issued to ensure safety of Covid-19 patients and healthcare staff, and contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The purpose of the SOP is to provide a framework for public and private hospitals, officials said, adding all hospitals were directed to adopt the SOP. The hospital concerned will counsel the patient regarding home quarantine.

With the rise of the Covid-19 in the federal capital, the tally of Covid-19 infections have reached 25,837.

According to the official data, the Punjab has 10,033 cases, followed by Sindh 9,093, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 3,956, Balochistan 1,725, Gilgit-Baltistan 394, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) 78. Till the filling of this report, 7,530 coronavirus patients have so far recovered, and 594 have died across the country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020