“Many areas of Lahore will be shut down 12am onwards from tomorrow,” said the Health Minister Yasmin Rashid on Monday during a press conference. She added that the areas that will experience a complete lockdown include Shahdra, Shad Bagh, Mazang, Harbanspura, Old Lahore, Nishtar Ground, Cantt.
Dr Rashid once again urged people to follow the government’s announced standard operating procedures to stop the spread of the virus. She added that the virus can be stemmed by 50% just by wearing a mask.
Meanwhile, some areas in Gulberg will also be closed completely and some societies in Lahore’s Iqbal Town as well.
“Food stores and pharmacies will remain open in these areas,” clarified the minister, adding that the areas will undergo a complete lockdown for at least two weeks. She added that these areas will be reopened after t the situation is assessed.
In Punjab, Lahore is the worst affected province and has reported over 27,000 cases and is the second worst affected city after Karachi.
Health Minister Yasmin Rashid had last week hinted that that the provincial government will impose a lockdown in areas with higher number of coronavirus cases to stem the spread of the disease.
She had warned that the number of cases will rise. The minister at the time had said that the final decision regarding the lockdown was to be taken by the cabinet committee.
The move also comes in the backdrop of the World Health Organisation recommending enforcing a strict two-week lockdown in Punjab as the number of coronavirus cases continued to grow in the province.
