As coronavirus cases rise, Punjab govt imposes smart lockdown in various cities

• A new strain of coronavirus from the UK has spread to most areas of Punjab.
  
• A smart lockdown will be imposed in 16 areas of Lahore, 17 in Gujarat, and four areas Rawalpindi from noon today.
• Shops selling fruit, vegetable, milk, meat, and items of necessity as well as bakeries will remain open till 7pm.
  

A new strain of the novel coronavirus from the UK has spread in most areas of Punjab, resulting in the provincial government imposing a smart lockdown in 16 areas of Lahore, 17 in Gujarat, and four areas of Rawalpindi from noon today.

Shops selling fruit, vegetable, milk, meat, and items of necessity as well as bakeries will remain open till 7pm. As per the rules, only one person will be allowed to leave the house in case of an emergency.

All business centres in Punjab will be closed from Monday at 6pm, whereas markets will be closed on Saturday and Sunday.

In addition, 50% of staff attendance at private and government offices will be permitted.

Read more: Pakistan coronavirus update: 2,664 test postive in a single day

All indoor wedding halls, shrines, cinemas, and community centres have been closed in the most affected areas of Gujarat, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Multan, and Gujranwala.

The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) has expressed concern over the rising number of cases and called on the provinces to strictly implement security measures in order to curb the virus spread.

Meanwhile, a smart lockdown in some cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is also being considered while a further ban on international travel from some countries will be considered after consultation with the relevant authorities.