Public parks closed in KP over coronavirus fears

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has temporarily closed public places including parks to reduce people’s unnecessary interaction in the province.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Kamran Bangash, tweeted on Sunday that the step had been taken to reduce unnecessary public interaction across the province.

“Working under directives issued by the #KP Govt; parks & public places are temporarily declared closed to avoid/reduce unnecessary public interaction across KP. Public's safety is our priority at the moment & we expect the public to stay careful. Together we can defeat the virus,” he posted.

Talking to The News, Kamran Bangash said the government was considering consulting traders’ union, opinion makers, including ulema to devise a well-thought-out strategy for public awareness and prevention. When asked whether closure of bazaars was also an option, he said it was not part of the plan right now as such step may create panic. However, he said, the possibility of the closure of bazaars could not be ruled out after consulting the stakeholders. The special assistant said the government was monitoring the situation and would take any decision necessary for the wellbeing of the masses. If the situation remained as it is now, then a lockdown would not be required but input on the option would be taken from the stakeholders during the consultation, he added.