In a bid to stem the spread of COVID-19 in the province, the government of Punjab has imposed smart lockdown in seven cities of province. 17 areas in Gujrat, 16 in Lahore while four in Rawalpindi have been sealed. In addition to this several areas in Sargodha, Multan, Gujranwala and Faisalabad have also been sealed.
In the last 24 hours, Punjab has recorded 1,653 new COVID-19 infections. This is the highest tally of cases registered since June. The provincial tally has risen to 185,468.
All the areas have been sealed for the next two weeks. All medical shops will remain open. Milk and meat shops will be open from 7am to 7pm while grocery stores, fruits and vegetable shops will function from 9am to 7pm.
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 NCOC has has expressed its concerns over the spike in cases in the province and has urged the authorities to implement the Standard Order Procedures (SOPs) effectively.
