Several neighbourhoods of Karachi sealed to tackle COVID-19 spread

Several areas of Karachi’s District East were sealed on Sunday after the authorities found certain parts as hotspots for the COVID-19.

According to the details, the partial lockdown in the city included neighbourhoods of Johar Mor, Johar Chowrangi, Rashid Minhas Road, Gulistan-e-Johar, Dalmia, Pehlwan Goth where containers and trucks were lined up to block the entry/exit of people.

A notification issued on Saturday by the deputy commissioner’s office recognised 11 union council, comprising areas in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Mehmoodabad, Lines Area, PIB Colony and Jamshed Quarters to be sealed off to control the spread of coronavirus.

The Sindh government had later stepped back from its decision to seal several areas in the metropolis’ East zone, hours after ordering them sealed.

Later, taking back the decision, Sindh Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah said that the government will not seal entire union councils UCs, rather “only those specific areas where cases have been reported will be sealed”.

“It will cause great inconvenience to the people if such large areas are completely closed off,” he said.

According to a notification issued earlier today, the provincial government said that the step was being taken under Sindh Epidemic Disease Act (2014) and “in the larger public interest to prevent a widespread outbreak of novel coronavirus”.

“To curb this pandemic we have to take some big steps,” the government official added.

The total number of population in the sealed 11 UCs is 774,704, of which the Faisal Cantonment area, which also falls under them, has the highest number of 98,668 individuals.