LHC Judge Contracts Virus
Justice Jawad Hassan along with four staff members of the Lahore High Court tested positive for the novel coronavirus on June 10th. All court officials have gone into self-isolation in their homes. In the week prior, Justice Shahid Kareem was diagnosed positive. While the exact number of infected Lahore High Court officials is yet unknown, tests are being carried out to detect suspected patients.
Punjab Quarantine Centers Closed
Punjab government orders closure of multiple quarantine centers across Punjab, including six in Lahore. The decision was made after the federal government issued new quarantined policies for returning Pakistanis landing at the Lahore airport. Under this new policy, no virus swab test will be performed – all suspected as well as infected repatriated Pakistanis will undergo a thermal scan, after which they will be sent home to self-quarantine. Should cases surge beyond alarming levels, sealed quarantine centers may be reopened.
Adiala Jail Doctor, Inmate Infected
A senior doctor and an under-trial prisoner, Ahmed Akmal, at the Adiala Jail in Lahore tested positive for COVID-19. 36 inmates and 8 staff members were tested for the virus after the jail’s dental technician succumbed to the disease on June 4. Among those tested, only two were diagnosed positive despite the ban on visitations and strict SOPs for jail staff. Akmal was awaiting trial for a fraudulent cheque case and may have passed the virus on to the Adiala Jail infirmary’s doctor during a check-up.
Strict Lockdown In Muzaffarabad
Complete lockdown will commence in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s capital, Muzaffarabad, on Friday, June 12 after ten doctors among 74 citizens contracted the virus in the past 24 hours. The total number of cases in AJK currently stands at 518, with Muzaffarabad accounting for 235 cases.
1,000 KP Medics Contract Virus
3,328 healthcare workers across Pakistan have contracted the virus till date, among whom an alarming 1,037 are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone. Among them, 7 healthcare workers in the province have succumbed to virus, bringing the total number of the country’s medics lost to the pandemic to 37.
Rs. 1 Mil Fine For Flouting SOP In Sindh
Chief Secretary of Sindh, Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah, warned during a press briefing that citizens caught violating COVID-19 SOPs will be slapped with fines up to a million rupees. Sindh currently leads with 43,790 total infections – despite repeated appeals by the provincial government, SOP violations continue en-masse.
Doctors Hail WHO Recommendations
Sindh Doctors Ittihad announced their support for the World Health Organization’s recommendations for intermittent lockdowns during a briefing at the Karachi Press Club on June 10. Healthcare experts have been embroiled in a tug-of-war with the government, which has repeatedly sidelined their concerns and appeals to maintain a strict lockdown, and with citizens whose callous attitude toward adhering to SOPs is adding to the surge in new cases.
