The imposition is for a period of two months and is a part of a campaign to lower Covid cases
The city administration has applied Section 144 in the federal capital in the wake of growing number of coronavirus in Islamabad as well as other parts of the country. Under current circumstances, anyone without a mask in public places can be arrested by the police.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan recently said that the second wave of COVID-19 is hitting Pakistan and precautions are absolutely necessary to avoid mass infections.
Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, who presided over an NCOC meeting today, said that it was decided that wearing a face mask will be mandatory in both government and private sector offices. He added that antigen testing will also start taking place.
“This is part of a strategy to increase the level of testing. The symptomatic cases will all still be administered PCR tests. The decision is in line with the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation,” he said.
Section 144 imposed
Following the decisionby NCOC, the Islamabad district magistrate imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) for two months to order the wearing of face masks/covers in public places in the capital. Anyone not wearing a mask in public could be arrested by police, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said in a tweet.
Rising no of cases
The number of Covid cases has been on the rise in Pakistan. From less than five hundred cases a day for months, the number has now gone past 800. It is a major concern since the active number of cases has crossed 11,000. There is also a risk of complete lockdown in the country, something that can lead to a further economic downturn in the country.