Karachi’s coronavirus lockdown succeeding means public has won: commissioner

Almost every major neighbourhood in Karachi has been put under a lockdown from June 18 to July 2 as coronavirus hot spots have emerged in these areas.

Forty union councils will have to follow the instructions. Anyone entering or exiting will have to wear a mask, movement will be restricted and no private family get-togethers will be allowed. No home delivery or take-away will be permitted from restaurants and no public transport or ride-hailing services will be allowed.

Grocery stores and pharmacies will be open during specific times as given by the home department on June 1. All other businesses have to stay closed. No factories can operate.

Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani has advised people living in areas under the ‘smart’ lockdown to take 14-day leave from their offices because the authorities won’t allow them to leave their areas during the lockdown.

“If the people in those areas are working in offices, they will have to take leave for 14 days,” Shallwani had told SAMAA TV. He appeared on Naya Din on Friday to discuss the lockdown again.

These hot spots were identified via reports by law enforcement officers, deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners and the health department, he explained, adding that they were singled out because they reported the most coronavirus cases.

The reason for the two-week lockdown is to curb the spread of the infection. But he said they need the public’s help to make it a success.

We’re not against the public or shopkeepers, he clarified. “This is for a common cause. The success of this lockdown is everyone’s success.”

The World Health Organisation had recommended a two-week lockdown followed by a two-week easing, but it’s unclear what strategy the Karachi administration will follow. When asked if there was a possibility of a further lockdown, Shallwani said for now it’s just till July 2.

He also discussed the drive through testing facility in Karachi and said it was the first in South Asia. The cost of running and maintaining it is increasing, he said, before affirming that his administration would keep it running. However, it is being shifted to Lyari so more people can get tested. It was previously only accessible to people with cars, not middle and lower-middle class people, Shallwani explained.

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