Coronavirus: Islamabad's certain areas to go under lockdown

A smart lockdown has been imposed in the federal capital as authorities decided to seal certain sectors in the city where coronavirus cases are on the rise.

The lockdown will be effective in Islamabad's targeted locations from Monday, November 9, according to a notification released by the Islamabad deputy commissioner.

"Subsectors 1-8/3, 1-8/4, G-9/1,G-10/4 and G-6/2 Islamabad are hereby sealed (locked down) w.e.f. 10.00 A.M, 09.11.2020 in larger public interest arid until further orders," read the notification.

"The exemptions to this order include essential services and supplies like pharmacy, patients for medical aid, rationing, drinking water supplies and emergency etc," it added further.

The notification called on local police to cordon off the sub-sectors to ensure the spread of the virus is curbed. "The Sub-Divisional Magistrates Industrial Area, City and Shalimar, ICT Islamabad are hereby directed to execute the orders in their subdivisions and to ensure uninterrupted supply of food/edibles inside the infield sub-sectors," read the notification.

The development came a couple of days after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government imposed a targeted lockdown in certain areas of Peshawar due to a rise in coronavirus cases.

Pakistan has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases in the past couple of months, notable since the country decided to relax business timings, re-open restaurants and schools as well as other educational institutions across the country.