Strict Lockdown order openly flouted

The Sindh government’s plan to impose a complete lockdown in coronavirus hotspots of the cityare being openly flouted. Several nonessential services and shops are operating per usual despite the presence of police and relevant authorities, who are now showing a lukewarm response to the Covid-19 threat. Not only barbers’ shops and beauty salons but mechanic shops and restaurants are also open for business in many areas of the city, even in the sensitive union councils which had been sealed on June 17. According to a government notification, several areas across the six districts of Karachi were declared highly vulnerable because of the number of coronavirus positive patients residing therein. As a result, people were told not to leave their houses unless necessary — a warning which fell on deaf ears. “Only groceries and pharmacies will remain open. The industrial units in the particular areas will remain closed and even takeaway and home deliveries of food items will also be not allowed,” the notification read. Unfortunately, the people, as well as the police, bluntly ignored the orders. “Police personnel are sitting on entry and exit points, allowing nonessential services to continue under their noses,” a resident of EssaNagri in Gulshan-e-Iqbal said, adding that his area which comes under Union Council 4 (UC-4) was declared a hotspot, but tea shops, restaurants, salons and mechanic shops are all operating as normal. After the recent orders, areas like Saddar, Light House, Jama Cloth Market and Tibet Centre, however, remained closed. Apart from the hotspots, the government had earlier announced that markets or shops would not be allowed to operate after 7pm throughout the province, but that order, too, was flouted by almost all shops and markets throughout the city. It was noted that there is a superstore on the ground floor of an apartment which had asked customers to enter through the backdoor to avoid the police, and it remained open until 2am every day. It is not only shops that are violating the SOPs, but drivers of online car and bicycle services have also started taking matters lightly. Commissioner IftikharShallwani has penalised many shops for violating the SOPs and flouting government orders by operating beyond 7pm. .