The Karachi commissioner has advised people living in areas under the ‘smart’ lockdown to take 14-day leave from their offices because the authorities won’t allow them to leave their areas during the lockdown.

“If the people in those areas are working in offices, they will have to take leave for 14 days,” Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani told SAMAA TV on Monday.

Almost every major neighbourhood in Karachi has gone into a lockdown starting 7pm today, June 18 to July 2 as coronavirus hotspots have emerged in these areas.

Forty union councils will have to follow the instructions. Anyone entering or exiting will have to wear a mask, movement will be restricted and no private family get-togethers will be allowed. No home delivery or take-away will be permitted from restaurants and fastfood joints. No public transport or ride-hailing services will be allowed.

Grocery stores and pharmacies will be open during specific times as given by the home department on June 1. All other businesses have to stay closed.

Only one person can leave the house to get groceries and will have to show their CNIC.

Karachi commissioner has warned that the authorities will impose fines on those found violating the lockdown.

“There will be no movement [allowed] in the period of 14 days,” Shallwani said. “I hope the people will cooperate with us.”

Below are the names of the areas identified as virus hotspots in Karachi:

District Korangi:

Malir Town’s UC-1 Moinabad Phase 3, S1, 35/3 Model Colony, Jaffar Bagh and Nashtar Square.

Landhi Town’s UC-9 36-B Area near Street Rehmania Masjid, Awami Colony, Imambargah Wali Asar area and Power House area.

Shah Faisal Town’s UC-7 Millat Town, Al-Falah Society and Malir Halt and UC-9 CAA Colony, Cantt Bazaar and Old Iqbalabad.

District South:

UC Karachi cantonment’s Bizerta Line and Doli Khata

UC Kharadar-3’s Lea Market

UC Saddar-8: Burnes Road, MA Jinnah Road, main Saddar, Urdu Bazaar

UC Phase VI: Khayaban-e-Badar and Muhafiz

UC Lyari: Agra Taj 2 and Bihar Colony

District East:

Gulshan Town’s

UC-1 Muhammad Ali Society

UC-2 Bahadaruabad and Block 14

UC-4 Essa Nagri

UC-6 Block 13 (A&C)

UC-7 Gulshan-e-Jamal

UC-8 13-D/II

UC-9 Block 7

UC-10 Blocks 14, 15, 11, Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 2

UC-12 Sachal Goth and Rabia Petal

UC-13 Safoora

UC-14 Rufi Lake Drive Inn and Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 13

Jamshed Town’s

UC-6 PECHS Block 2 Tariq Road and Block 6

UC-7 PECHS Block II and Block 6

UC-8 Balti Mohalla

UC-10 Martin Quarters and Fatima Jinnah Colony

UC-11 Jamaat Khana, Jehangir Road Quarters No 2, Jehangir Road No. 1 Teen Hatti and Bijli Ground

UC-12 Soldier Bazaar, Numaish

District West

UC-3 (Isman Nagar) Naval Colony, Sector 4

UC-4 (Metroville) Block 3

UC-5 (Saeedabad) Area 5G, 5J, A3

UC-5 (Songal) Gulshan-e-Maymar and Khuda ki Basti Phase 2

UC-6 (Frontier Colony) Sector 4 & 5 Malakand Hospital, Ismaili quarters

UC-6 (Ghaziabad) Christian Colony

District Malir

UC-1 Muzzafarabad’s D-Area main commercial market road from 50-bed hospital to 52 Wing Pakistan Rangers, Old Area, Jacob Line, Majeed Colony sectors I and II, Muzzafarabad Rehri Road main markets from Hospital Chowrangi to Hussain Chowrangi

UC-3 (Cattle Colony) Road No 9, complete Commercial market area

Gulshan-e-Hadeed commercial markets of Phase I and II

UC-3 Dawood Chowrangi to 89 Petrol pump

UC-4 Quaidabad, Gosht gali, Murghi Khana, Majeed Panwala area near mobile market

UC-5 Jaffer-e-Tayyar’s Jinnah square commercial market

District Central

Gulberg, selected streets of Joharabad

North Karachi Sector 11-E, select streets of Anarkali market