CoronaVirus Updates
Over 2,000 cases have been reported this week, raising serious concerns over the second wave. <br> <br>Health experts have described the second wave of the virus as "deadly contagious". <br> <br>The PoK government has issued a notification regarding the lockdown, to be imposed from November 22 to December 6, putting a complete ban on public gatherings. <br> <br>"All political, religious and social gatherings will be banned during the lockdown. However, prayers inside the mosques would be allowed subject to strict adherence to the anti-Covid standard operating procedures (SOPs). Funeral prayers will be restricted to 50 people. <br> <br>"All public and private sector educational institutions, including religious schools, wedding halls, shopping malls, barber shops, beauty parlors and private clinics will be closed. Dine-in facility in restaurants will also not be allowed but the take-away service will be permitted," the notification. <br> <br>It further said that government and semi-government offices will have only 50 per cent of staff attendance, while a complete ban on visitors will be imposed. <br> <br>"Any violation of the rule would invoke a fine of 500 PKR," the notification said. <br> <br>Adding more into the details and specifications, the notification stated that "groceries, medical stores, bakeries, vegetables and fruit shops, dairy shops, ovens would be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Public transport will run under the SOPs and tourists' movement will also be restricted in the region during the lockdown period". <br> <br>Meanwhile, the Punjab government has also imposed a smart lockdown in more than nine cities. The cities whose hotspot areas have been sealed include Bakhar, Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur and Multan. <br> <br>"Free movement of the citizens had been restricted in these affected areas," a notification of the Punjab provincial government said. <br> <br>The fresh notifications came after Pakistan's National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) revealed that active cases of coronavirus in the country had crossed 30,000. <br> <br>According to the NCOC, Pakistan has so far registered a total of 363,380 coronavirus cases, with 7,248 deaths, 325,788 recoveries and 30,362 active infections.PoK has recorded 5,640 cases, 16,529 in Balochistan, 4,467 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 24,871 in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 42,815 in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, 111,626 in Punjab and 157,432 in Sindh. --IANS<br>hamza/ksk/