The Karachi administration has now decided to seal neighbourhoods instead of entire Union Councils, where there is a high incidence of Covid-19 cases.

The revision in strategy was decided in a meeting of the Karachi Commissioner with law enforcement personnel on Sunday.

"Sealing is a different concept compared to lockdown," said Karachi Police chief AIG Ghulam Nabi Memon. "When it comes to sealing, law enforcers are supposed to implement a stricter ban on the movement of people," he said, adding however that they had not made any arrests so far.

"Today was the first day and we were trying to grapple with the government's direction to seal the UCs."

The AIG was of the belief, however, that there should "have been proper consultation and we should have been allowed some time to plan and muster the requisite resources including human resources" to implement the orders.

"Moreover, instead of expecting the police to seal the whole UC, we should have been asked to seal only those neighbourhood where there is a higher incidence of cases," he reasoned.

According to AIG Memon, the recommendation was put forth before the Karachi commissioner in the latest meeting, after which police and Rangers have been asked to seal only those neighbourhoods, "in the shape of small circles", where the cases have been reported.

Roads blocked

Earlier, Rangers and police had blocked several roads in 11 union committees (UC) in the city's East district by erecting temporary barriers and parking heavy vehicles, officials and witnesses had said.

The move was prompted the Sindh government's decision on Saturday to seal off the 11 UCs to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in the wake of increasing cases.

A notification issued by the deputy commissioner concerned said that entire areas falling within the limits of UC-6 Gilani Railway, UC-7 Dalmia, UC-8 Jamali Colony, UC-9 Gulshan II, UC-10 Pehalwan Goth, UC-12 Gulzar-i-Hijri, UC-13 Safoora Goth, UC-14 Faisal Cantonment, UC-2 Manzoor Colony, UC-9 Jacob Line and UC-10 Jamshed Quarters have been sealed forthwith as “record confirmed reports of individuals infected with Covid-19 residing in these areas”.

This decision was taken under the Sindh Epidemic Diseases Act of 2014 and the DC-East believed that this step was in the “larger public interest and to prevent widespread outbreak of Covid-19”.

Soon after the order was issued, police and Rangers cordoned off the areas to "ensure public safety".

No blockade in DHA, Clifton

Meanwhile, Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shalwani denied reports that localities in Defence Housing Authority or Clifton are being sealed off. Senior Superintendent of Police (South) also rubbished the reports.

The commissioner confirmed that Carrefour, Dolmen City Mall, had been ordered to close for not enforcing the prescribed preventive measures.