Pakistan to place ‘restrictive measures’ in 20 virus ‘hotspot’ cities
Army personnel wearing facemasks patrol in vehicles on a street, before sealing Karachi Company area in Islamabad on June 12, 2020, as cases of COVID-19 coronavirus continue to rise. (Photo: AFP)
The National Command and Operation Center has identified 20 cities in Pakistan with potential coronavirus hotspots, the Radio Pakistan reported Monday.
The number of infections is increasing in these cities and there is a need to put in place “restrictive measures” to contain the spread of the virus, according to the report.
The cities include Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Swat, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Sialkot, Gujrat, Ghotki, Larkana, Khairpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Malakand and Mardan.
Islamabad’s I-8, I-10, G-6 and G-7 sectors have already been identified as coronavirus hotspots and are likely to be sealed.
The virus has so far claimed 2,751 lives in Pakistan, while the total number of cases has jumped to 146,245.
The government has warned that the cases will keep rising in the country. They may reach 1.2 million by the end of July, according to Planning Minister Asad Umar.
