Balochistan government has announced to extend the lockdown till June 2 across the province.
The spokesperson of the Balochistan government, Liaquat Shahwani said on Thursday that the decision to ban public transport has been upheld in order to stem the spread of coronavirus, especially in rural areas of the province.
“It is feared that with the resumption of transport services, the coronavirus will spread to our villages and less developed areas,” he said, adding that about 30 per cent districts of Balochistan are safe from the virus.
Urging people to celebrate the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr with simplicity, he requested citizens not to engage in inter-city travel during the lockdown and stressed that the traditional melas are strictly prohibited in the province during Eid celebrations.
Expecting the business community to play an eminent role in the eradication of coronavirus, Shahwani maintained that about 1,100 shops have been sealed and 720 people have been arrested for violating the standard operating procedures (SOPs) so far.
Touching upon the spread of the virus among different age groups, Shahwani stated that the reported cases for COVID-19 among 11 to 20-years-old in Balochistan is 11 per cent whereas about 9.5 per cent of the people affected from the virus are aged between 51 to 60 years old.
“Coronavirus cases among people above 60 years of age are 5.5 per cent whereas the percentage of children between the ages of one and 10 in the total coronavirus cases reported amount to 7 per cent,” he added.
Stressing that prevention is the only way to battle the contagion, Shahwani showed concerns that the youth have been most affected by the virus.
