Karachi, Pakistan
According to the latest reports, 6 marriage halls and 106 restaurants as many as 10 renown eateries/restaurants which include fast-food chains such as Pizza Hut and OPTP, were sealed in Karachi on Thursday evening.
The District East management took this action over the violation of Coronavirus SOPs. According to the management, the government issued SOPs were not being followed at these places, operations were conducted in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Jamshed Quarters.
The district administration teams sealed some popular eateries including Pizza Hut, Burger Lab, Disco Bakery, and Quetta Café in Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
In Jamshed Quarters, Ambala Bakers and Sweets, OPTP in Bahadurabad, Hanifia Broast, Baba Fast Food, Apna Quetta tea hotel, and Tea Banori Hotel were reportedly sealed.
They also issued warning to the several marts and eateries, including Hyderi Super Mart at University Road, Sparo Martin Bahadurabad, Yadgar Fish on Jamshed Road, Meerat Kabab on Jamshed Road, KFC in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Mamo Kababwala in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Miss Hen Fast Food in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Chaseup, Subway and Usmania Restaurant in Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
District East Additional Commissioner Irfan Mirwani told reporters that the crackdown against restaurants and eateries will continue in order to protect public from catching virus.
“The numbers of sealed restaurants and eateries may increase if strict compliance of Coronavirus SOPs is not found,” Mirwani added. Previously, on Wednesday, around eight restaurants/eateries were closed in Clifton and Boat Basin areas for not following the SOPs issued by the government in District South.
While, The Sindh government on Wednesday night has imposed a ‘mini smart lockdown’ in a city neighborhood following an unprecedented increase in the Covid-19 cases as 60 percent of positive cases across the country were reported overnight from the provincial capital Karachi.
Two localities in Manghopir, district West, were placed under a two-week ‘mini smart lockdown’. The deputy commissioner, West, issued a notification placing Saima Villas and Samama City under the lockdown from October 1 to 15.
All business activities, except for groceries and pharmacies, will remain closed and all public transport including taxis and rickshaws are not allowed to operate in the two localities of the UC, having a population of over 4,000, during the lockdown.
According to the orders, only one person of a family would be allowed outside for buying necessary food items and medicine by showing original computerized national identity cards to the law enforcement authorities.
Earlier, the city administration had decided to identify the localities and neighborhoods with an increased number of Covid-19 cases and imposed a smart lockdown there.
Strict Action Would Be Taken Against Violators
It was also decided to take strict and immediate action against violators of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) notified to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Karachi Commissioner Sohail Rajput while presiding over a meeting with city administration and provincial health department directed the deputy commissioners to immediately seal the schools, restaurants and marriage halls that were found not following the SOPs.
The meeting noted that almost 60pc of the total cases across the country reported overnight were from Karachi, while 4,667 positive cases were reported in the city in September alone.
The deputy commissioners were directed to keep a vigilant eye on the schools, restaurants, marriage halls, and public parks to ensure observance of SOPs by the public. The meeting also decided to increase Covid-19 tests at schools.
It also decided that the industry department would keep a strict check on offices, industrial units, and factories and the deputy commissioners concerned would take action against violators on the report of the industries department. The deputy commissioners were also directed to submit to the commissioner office their respective reports on a daily basis.
Two COVID-19 Deaths In One Night
Meanwhile, in a statement issued in the morning, the chief minister said that 311 new cases of coronavirus emerged when 10,940 tests were conducted raising the tally to 137,109 and two more patients died lifting the death toll to 2,499.
He said that 10,940 samples were tested against which 311 new cases detected and this constituted 2.8% current detection rate.
“Two more patients died overnight lifting the death toll to 2,499 that came to 1.8% death rate,” he said and added that so far 1,363,079 samples had been tested which diagnosed 137,106 cases all over Sindh forming an overall 10% detection rate.
The CM said that currently, 4,255 patients were under treatment, of them 3,978 in-home isolation, six at isolation centres and 271 at different hospitals. He added that the condition of 181 patients was stated to be critical, including 38 shifted on ventilators. Mr Shah said that 215 patients recovered overnight taking the number of patients recovered so far to 130,352 that constituted 95%.
He said that out of 311 new cases of coronavirus, 221 were detected in Karachi, including 75 in South, 53 in East, 40 in Central, 27 in Korangi, 17 in Malir, and nine in West. According to CM, Hyderabad had 14 cases, Jamshoro has 6, Badin and Dadu 4 cases each, Sujawal has 3, Ghotki two, Khairpur, Mirpurkhas, Naushahro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur and Thatta 1 case each. The CM wants people of the province to follow SOPs provided by the government and ensure the safety of their friends and families safe.
