PESHAWAR: Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Information and Higher Education, Kamaran Bangash on Thursday said if number of COVID-19 patients exceeded from 70 to 80 percent at hospitals, a complete lockdown could be imposed in the province.

The third wave of COVID-19, he said, was much dangerous and if the ratio of cases increased then some difficult decisions could be taken as per the situation. However, he said stern restrictions have been imposed in the province by deciding to close all the bazaars by 08:00 p.m.

In a media statement he said a notification has already been issued by the KP Home Department regarding closure of commercial businesses by 08:00p.m. that would strictly be implemented. Nine districts with high coronavirus rate including Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Swat, Lower Dir, Malakand, Abbottabad and Charsadda have been specified for strict compliance of SOPs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In other districts too where the coronavirus ratio exceeded from 10 percent, educational institutions would be closed to counter the further spread of the virus.

He said a three-member committee comprising KP Finance Minister, Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Shaukat Yousufzai and Kamran Bangash has been formed to make talks with representatives of the traders’ community on closure of business places under the new SOPs order.

He said, Federal Minister, Asad Umer in his tweet message has also warned the people to take the third wave of COVID-19 very seriously as it was more dangerous than the past and cases were on the rise.