ISLAMABAD: There has been more than a twofold increase in positive cases of novel COVID-19 variant recently in both cities, Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Authorities in both cities are considering smart lockdowns to slow the virus’ spread.
Some locations will be placed under smart lockdowns as per the Islamabad District Health Officer (DHO) Zaeem Zia, who says that 36 additional people have tested positive for the Omicron variant in the previous 24 hours, increasing the city’s total to 177 cases.
Dr Waqar Ahmed, a spokesperson for the District Health Authority in Rawalpindi, has asked for smart lockdowns in the Rawalpindi regions where the most cases have been recorded.
Islamabad’s positivity rate increased from 0.97 percent on January 3 to 2.35 percent on January 6, as per the government figures, more than tripling in only four days. It has also increased from 0.76 per cent to 1.64 per cent in Rawalpindi since the beginning of the month.
Thus, a new outbreak of COVID-19 is expected to begin soon, but the spread of new wave of COVID-19 may be prevented by following Zia’s advice, which consists of getting vaccinated.
At a conference to examine COVID-19 in Rawalpindi Garrison, Dr Waqar Ahmed said, “There is a desperate need to impose smart lockdowns in locations where three to four cases are being reported in a day.” He reported that three cases came from Dhoke Khabba and Gulistan Colony, while the majority of those who tested positive for the virus in the last week lived in Bahria Phase VIII and Mughalabad.
A Worrisome Increase in Numbers
According to government statistics, the number of people who have tested positive for COVID has risen in the last ten days.
On December 26, 2021, there were a total of 25 new patients in Islamabad, compared to 104 on January 6, 2022, 10 days later.
COVID-19 has killed 967 people in the capital, whereas 107,528 individuals have recovered. 4411 tests were conducted on Jan. 6 to find 489 active cases.
On Thursday, 1,583 tests were conducted in Rawalpindi, which had similar results. At the moment, it has 127 active patients, with just 23 being hospitalised and the remaining 104 being in their own homes for isolation. At least nine of these patients are from the cantonment, while the other ten are from the city.
Among the hospitalised patients, Gujar Khan has five, while Kallar Syedan and Taxila each have one active case. One patient is on a ventilator, 12 others are on oxygen, and the other 10 are in stable condition, according to hospital data.
Islamabad’s DHO Zaeem Zia stated has stressed that residents must take every precaution to prevent the virus from spreading further. According to him, all available facilities are being provided for people who desire to be vaccinated at all times.
When asked about the termination of the mass vaccination centre in Islamabad’s F-9 Park, DHO Zaeem Zia, stated that individuals may still get their booster vaccinations at vaccination centres in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Polyclinic, CDA Hospital, and other sites.
