Islamabad to undergo complete lockdown from 6pm tomorrow: deputy commissioner

• Full lockdown to be imposed in Islamabad Capital Territory from 6 pm on Friday, May 7.
• Public transport will remain suspended from 6pm onwards, said city's deputy commissioner. 
• All recreational places, parks, and commercial areas will be closed after 6pm.

ISLAMABAD: The deputy commissioner of Islamabad on Thursday announced that a full lockdown would be imposed in the federal capital tomorrow (May 7) in a bid to curb the rising number of coronavirus infections. 

Public transport will be suspended after 6pm on Friday, May 7, the deputy commissioner said, adding that all parks, recreational places, and commercial areas will also be closed after 6 pm.

The authorities will ensure that people follow the government's mandated "Stay Home, Stay Safe" policy, the deputy commissioner added.

Punjab to impose full lockdown from May 8 to 16

A day prior, the government of Punjab had announced that it would impose a complete lockdown in the province from May 8 to May 16, owing to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases.

As reported by Geo News, the decision was taken during a meeting chaired by the provincial health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid. During the session, the government decided that all activities will be banned in the province on the designated dates, while public transport will be suspended and all recreational spots will also remain closed.

The provincial government said that checkpoints will be set up at all the entry and exit points of the city, where police, Rangers and army personnel will be deployed to monitor the situation.

"In order to control the coronavirus situation in the province, the next 20 days are crucial," Dr Rashid had said, adding that the government is employing efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

She stressed that owing to the third wave of the virus, people should celebrate Eid ul Fitr in a simple way, adding that people should follow the government's mandated coronavirus standard operating procedure (SOPs) and prove themselves to be responsible citizens. 

108 more succumb to coronavirus during last 24 hours

At least 108 more succumbed to the coronavirus during the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 18,537 in Pakistan as the country grapples with the third wave of the coronavirus.

According to the official data provided by National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) on Thursday, 4,198 cases were reported when 46,467 tests were conducted across the country in the past 24 hours.

The positivity rate of coronavirus cases has been recorded at 9.03%.

The number of active cases stands at 84,172, with the nationwide recoveries rising to 743,124.

Moreover, about 5,624 coronavirus patients are admitted to 631 various hospitals with 651 patients on ventilators across the country.

Punjab remains the worst-hit province by the pandemic, both in terms of cases reported as well as deaths followed by Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.

The highest death toll in the last 24 hours was in Punjab, with the province reporting 68 fatalities.