Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza Monday said the Higher Education Commission (HEC) is inviting university researchers, scientists, technicians, manufacturers and other Pakistani experts, based either in the country or abroad, to submit proposals which can assist the government in its fight against the Covid-19 outbreak. Addressing media along with SAPM on National Security Dr Moeed Yusuf and National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Lt Gen Mohammad Afzal, Dr Mirza said the HEC has constituted this programme to streamline countless ideas from experts and innovators into a single structured initiative. He also revealed that the commission will be providing generous funding – from Rs5 million up to Rs 15 million – to prospective researchers if their ideas are accepted. “The government of Pakistan, with assistance from HEC, will help you in developing your ideas. And if your idea is practical and effective, we will like nothing more than to implement it,” he said. “If you have any ideas against Covid-19 prevention, its treatment and on the affects that emerge from it, please submit your proposals to HEC. They have issued an advertisement in this regard. The deadline to apply for this initiative is April 3, 2020,” he added. Dr Mirza said Pakistan has reported fewer cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours as compared to the ratio in the last few days. He said in the coming days, there will be an increase in the number of recovered patients. He said currently, 7,507 people have been quarantined in different places across the country. “In hospitals, out of 783 cases, 773 are improving and expected to get well soon,” he said. “Only 10 patients are in a critical condition,” he added. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Security Division Moeed Yusuf said there are no Pakistani passengers in transit at any airports of the world, adding that all such passengers either have been airlifted to Pakistan or their visas extended at their respective countries. He said all Pakistani stranded at Thailand have been brought back to the country and their coronavirus tests are negative. Categorically rejecting the media reports about resuming rail and air operation in the country from April 1 and April 5 respectively, he said no final decision has been made in this regard. He said the government is working on various options but it has not yet decided to resume railways and air traffic from April 1. All airports will remain closed for normal domestic flights, he said. However, he said airports will gradually be opened for few flights. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal said around 1,200 ventilators will be made available across the country during the month of April. He said the authority is importing ventilators and personal protection equipment (PPE) from China. He said around 5,000 sets of PPE’s, ventilators and chemical used for fumigation will be received from China during the next month. He said 100 thermal walkthrough gates will be brought from Beijing in the coming days. “It will be helpful in ensuring better arrangements at the airports. We will gradually revive international flights whereas domestic flights will remain suspended,” he said. He said around 7,800 testing kits for coronavirus diagnosis have been provided to Punjab, 5,000 to Sindh and 4,800 to Balochistan. “Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have been given medical equipment to meet with the need of doctors for five weeks,” he said. The NDMA, he said, is working to boost testing capacity of laboratories across the country. “Abbottabad and Dera Ismail Khan will soon get testing labs. Around seven machines related to lab equipment have been distributed to different areas,” he said, adding that laboratories in Faisalabad and Sargodha are being upgraded to carry out coronavirus diagnosis tests. He said two laboratories established in SIUT and JPNC have been made operational. He said medical teams can get safety equipment at one call. “NDMA’s top priority is to provide protective equipment to medical teams fighting in the frontline against the pandemic of coronavirus,” he said, adding that around 150,000 medical items will be received from China before April 15.