Corona virus

Corona virus

One day noon, as I came out of my office, a bazaar in Islamabad was alive. This market located in Sector G10, Islamabad, comprising of spare parts, auto workshops, service stations  and a variety of food and beverage outlets and restaurants. 

It was the same area which had been declared a hotspot of Code 19 under an order of the Islamabad administration.

Notifications to seal it had been issued in early November and the lockdown had been lifted. As we toured the market, we saw a barber setting his shop on the roadside, and waiting for customers without a mask. 

At the same time a man came up to him and sat on chair to cut the hair, he took off his mask and put them on barber's table.

It turned out from a hospital and he was really in uniform at the time. His mask remained on the table during the shaving. I don't know how dirty that mask will become by the end of the haircut. 

After that the person wearing the same mask went back to the hospital. During this time no one used sanitizer. It should have happened that people were more cautious when smart lockdown was installed in their area, 

But the activity in the bazaar was normal and at the same time the trend of people wearing masks and maintaining social distance was something special.

People with this mindset, most of laughed or satirized when they talked to the shopkeepers and passersby in the market about the 'Smart Lockdown' and 'SOPs' done to stop the corona virus. Anwar Hussain, the owner of a puncture shop,

Smiled when asked about the implementation of Corona SOPs in his area. He said that you can see for yourself how many people are wearing masks or how many people are following the guidelines and keeping their distance from each other. 

According to the deputy commissioner of the federal capital Islamabad, this time everyone was exempted except the gatherings so that business would not be affected.

Current situation of Corona in Pakistan

For the past several days, the number of corona cases in Pakistan has been on the rise again, which is being termed as the second wave of corona by the government and in view of this, the government has also closed educational institutions. 

More than 400,482 people have been infected with corona in Pakistan so far and more than 8,091 people have died. In late March, when cases of corona virus were on the rise in Pakistan, the Pakistani government imposed lockdowns in most cities of the country, while in many areas, a 'smart lockdown' was imposed, covering only certain areas.

Initially, these lockdowns have been very severe in which streets and roads would have been sealed, but now in the recent smart lockdowns, the administration is not showing that strictness. And even in areas where smart lockdown is enforced, the general public's attitude is not one of concern for Corona.

Wearing Masks

Regarding the wearing of masks and keeping social distance, Anwar Hussain says that the guidelines of 'No Mask No Service' (e.g., no service without masks) are followed by every other shop. People do not follow it because people in general the attitude are against wearing a mask. 

I figured after a long day in the market. In restaurants, people sat close to each other and enjoyed eating and drinking, and at workshops, etc., there was no social distance. 

Yes, some people did wear masks, but you can count them as a minority. One shopkeeper told me that the 'No Mask No Service' (no service without masks) guideline is followed by every other shop but the shops do not follow it.

Smart lockdown not a curfew

According to the Deputy Commissioner, Federal Capital Territory, Islamabad, said that wherever the corona virus is spreading, micro-smart lockdowns are carried out on a daily basis in homes, streets, businesses Includes banks and hotels or restaurants. 

But how severe is this lockdown? In this regard, DC said that in the smart lockdown implemented by the administration, the area was closed completely at first, but this time the lockdown was soft enough because this time everyone except the gatherings were given exemption so that the business would not be affected.