Amid worsening coronavirus situation in the country, the Islamabad administration has made the wearing of masks in public places mandatory. Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) has been put in place for the implementation of the rule, the Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad, Hamza Shafqat said.
The district administration has warned that legal action will be taken against those found not wearing a mask, adding that the mask-wearing rule will remain in place for the next two months. Additionally, five sectors of Islamabad have been declared coronavirus “hotspots” and will be sealed. Sectors G-6/2, Sector G-9/1, G-10/4 will be sealed tomorrow as will Sectors I-8/3 and I/8-4.
Pakistan’s coronavirus situation has taken a turn for the worse, with total cases zooming past 600,000 to hit 602,536 in the last 24 hours. The situation is alarming as only a month ago, the cases stood at 500,000.
In the last 24 hours, 2,338 people tested positive in Pakistan and 46 people died. Oxygen bed occupancy has also spiked, with Gujrat reporting a 100% occupation.
Earlier this week, Minister for Planning and National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) chief Asad Umar had said “there is no doubt that the third coronavirus wave has begun”.
Separately, Rawalpindi imposed new restrictions, including on markets, which will now be required to shut down by 6:00pm, starting Monday.
Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Anwarul Haq said that shopkeepers had been consulted before bringing a change in the allowed operating hours for businesses. He said no marketplace will be shut down on Sunday.
