Amid COVID-19 surge, Karachi imposes smart lockdown in four towns

Karachi, the financial capital of Pakistan, on Tuesday imposed a "smart" lockdown in four towns of the city till May 18, in a bid to curtail the spike in coronavirus cases.

Karachi, the financial capital of Pakistan, on Tuesday imposed a "smart" lockdown in four towns of the city till May 18, in a bid to curtail the spike in coronavirus cases. Karachi administration issued a notification in this regard announcing that multiple areas of Gulberg, Liaquatabad, North Karachi and North Nazimabad will be under lockdown, Geo News reported.

The areas will be under lockdown till May 18. Sindh has reported 1,122 new coronavirus cases and nine additional fatalities in the last 24 hours, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah's office shared in a statement. The province's caseload has risen to 287,642, while the death toll has reached 4,687. Expressing concerns over rising cases in Karachi, Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Tuesday that there is a need for precaution in Karachi and warned that if coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) were not implemented properly in the metropolis, the effect on the rest of the country would be felt "very fast".

Last month, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho had warned that the provincial government could impose lockdowns in select areas of Karachi if the coronavirus situation worsens. The health minister said the Sindh government had recommended banning inter-provincial transport; however, the National Command and Operations Centre had rejected the suggestion.

Due to the third wave of coronavirus, Pakistan is witnessing a spike in COVID-19 related deaths. According to the data released today, 3,377 people tested positive in the last 24 hours while 161 people lost their lives with most fatalities being reported in Punjab. (ANI)

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