Mardan goes under one-week lockdown due to rising coronavirus cases

• Mardan to go under a one-week lockdown from today.
  
• The authorities have said that the lockdown period can be extended if the coronavirus situation doesn't ameliorate.
  
• Deputy Commissioner Mardan says that the coronavirus situation in Mardan has become alarming with a drastic increase in infections.
  

Amid the rising number of coronavirus infections, Mardan will go under a one-week lockdown from today, Jang reported on Monday.

Authorities have said that the lockdown period can be extended if the coronavirus situation doesn't ameliorate.

Earlier, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Secretary Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah had said that the decision to impose a lockdown can be reconsidered if the rate of coronavirus cases in Mardan and Lower Dir did not decrease.

Read more: With 4,825 new infections, Pakistan’s coronavirus tally crosses 800,000 mark

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Mardan Habibullah Arif said that the coronavirus situation in Mardan has become alarming with a drastic increase in infections.

"People are not following the coronavirus protocols, most people are not even wearing masks," he said.

Pakistan reported 70 more deaths, taking the nationwide COVID-19 death toll to 17,187, while over 4,800 new infections have been reported across the country on Monday.

As per the official data, 50,161 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, from which 4,825 tests returned positive.