HYDERABAD - Keeping in view the rising number of new COVID-19 cases, the Hyderabad district administration on Saturday decided to place 16 union councils under smart lock-down.

According to sources, the city district administration has all set to enforce smart lockdown in the COVID-19 hotspots. The decision has been taken as part of pre-cautionary measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in the city.

Qasimabad, five union councils of Latifabad and other areas of the city will be placed under the ‘smart lockdown’.

A doctor among seven people has died from the COVID-19 during the past one week in Hyderabad, the sources added.

Earlier on November 6, Chief Minister (CM) Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah had said that the coronavirus pandemic was rapidly increasing in Karachi and Hyderabad.

He had been chairing the Corona Task Force meeting at CM House Karachi to re-view the latest situation of the pandemic in the province. Showing concern over a sharp increase in the COVID-19 cases in the province, es-pecially in Karachi and Hyderabad, Syed Murad Ali Shah had underlined the need for following standard operating procedures (SOPs) designed to contain the pan-demic spread.

“We have to bound masses to follow SOPs”, the CM Sindh had said and directed the concerned authorities to take stern action over violations of SOPs.