The authorities have imposed smart lockdown in parts of Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi. In Lahore, new Muslim Town, Allama Iqbal Town, Garden Town, Cavalry Ground, DHA, Askari 11, Anarkali, Muzang, Shadman and Gulshan-e-Ravi are the under smart lockdown.

In Multan, Naqshabad, Gulgasht Colony, Khawajabad, Sadad Colony while in Rawalpindi Foji Foundation University, Lalazar and Satellite Town are placed under smart lockdown.

All the medical services, medical stores and clinics will remain open 24 hours while shops for utility stuff will remain open from 7am to 7pm.

The move followed a meeting of the Cabinet Committee for Anti-Corona at the CM Office in which the participants expressed grave concerns over the increase in numbers of corona patients in the province.

The meeting took notice over the violation of SOPs in markets and bazaars and decided to close such spots so that the spread of such a deadly disease could be stemmed. Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid told the meeting that a total of 418 patients were under treatment in public hospitals and 76 were in critical condition.

The Punjab government sealed 830 places across the province after spiking in Covid-19 cases last week.

In these areas, 1,416 cases of novel coronavirus were reported, a private news channel reported on Monday quoting the sources of the provincial government.

The micro-smart lockdown has been imposed in 435 spots in Lahore, which is the maximum number of areas sealed in the province.

Micro-smart lockdown clamped in 37 hot-spots in Bahawalpur, 35 places in Bhakkar, 17 spots in Dera Ghazi Khan, 34 places in Faisalabad and 14 spots in Gujranwala district.

Moreover, 44 places in Multan, 29 in Gujrat and scores of areas in Sahiwal, Sargodha, Shekhupura, Sialkot and other districts of Punjab have been sealed under the micro-smart lockdown.

Last month, the health officials have requested the district administration for the imposition of a micro smart lockdown following the detection of Covid-19 cases among 10 people, including four children, in Punjab.

Following detection of the patients, the district focal person for Covid-19 approached the district administration with a request to ask the SHOs to ensure implementation of the SOPs and micro smart lockdown in the area. All the deputy district officers health Faisalabad have been asked to mark the houses as quarantine of their respective tehsils.

In Multan, a private school was closed after two students were found to have been suffering from Covid-19. A letter from the chief executive officer (CEO), District Education Authority (DEA), Multan, was dispatched to the Lahore Grammar School principal according to which ‘as per advice Muhammad Khalid Aslam, Deputy District Education Officer (EE-M), Multan city, paid a visit to Lahore Grammar School, Officers’ Colony Branch, on Sept 28.