Pak braces for 2nd Covid-19 wave as smart lockdown returns

By Hamza Ameer Islamabad, Nov 19 : New coronavirus cases have started to surge again in Pakistan amid a second wave of pandemic, prompting the government to impose smart lockdowns in hotspots and ban all public gatherings across the country.
The Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) government has also notified the return of a lockdown from next week, shutting down schools, wedding halls and beauty parlours, while the Punjab province has also extended smart lockdown in several coronavirus hotspots.
The urgent decision came after Pakistan witnessed a major surge in single-day confirmed cases.
Over 2,000 cases have been reported this week, raising serious concerns over the second wave.
Health experts have described the second wave of the virus as “deadly contagious”.
The PoK government has issued a notification regarding the lockdown, to be imposed from November 22 to December 6, putting a complete ban on public gatherings.