Daily Times

The Punjab government announced on Monday that further lockdowns will be enforced in districts with a Covid-19 positivity of more than 8 per cent to curb the spread of the disease.

The apex committee has taken important decisions after a detailed review of steps for saving the lives of the people, said Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar while speaking to the media.

A cabinet committee for anti-corona, consisting of provincial ministers and civil and military officials, had been constituted to take decisions after a daily review in this regard.

During the meeting, it was also decided to ensure strict enforcement of coronavirus SOPs and the proposal of complete lockdown in Lahore and other cities, was also reviewed.

Addressing a press conference Buzdar stated it was also decided to take every necessary step to maintain the supply of oxygen and legal action will be taken on overcharging or hoarding of oxygen cylinders.

Health professionals will be given a special allowance like before. The healthcare commission had been directed to monitor the rates of private hospitals. The CM thanked the deployment of the army and rangers for the implementation of coronavirus SOPs, he said.

During the last 24 hours, 20600 had been tested and 127 lost their lives while a total of 8224 died of coronavirus in Punjab, he added.

The positive coronavirus cases’ ratio was 38 percent in Khanewal, 32 per cent in Okara, 24 per cent in Sahiwal, 20 per cent in Vehari, 23 per cent in Lahore, 18 per cent in Mianwali, 16 per cent in Narowal, 15 per cent in Multan, 14 per cent in Faisalabad, 12 per cent in Sargodha and 11 per cent in Rawalpindi, he said.

The ratio of positive coronavirus cases was more than 8 per cent in 22 districts while the ratio of the positive cases had reached 13 per cent in Punjab. The oxygen demand had been tremendously increased with the number of serious patients on ventilators in hospitals increasing. He said a 400 per cent increase had been observed in the demand for oxygen cylinders and the government was considering shifting oxygen from the industrial to the health sector.

The number of vaccination centres had increased and funds of Rs. 1.5 billion had been approved to procure corona vaccine. He said the government was determined to deal with the difficult situation. He added that vaccination had been expedited and a total of one million had been vaccinated in Punjab.

The CM appealed to the people to follow coronavirus SOPs and government instructions for saving lives.

Replying to a question, the CM asserted that more restrictions will be enforced in the wake of the prevailing situation adding that the government did not want to put people in trouble and the situation could lead to complete lockdown.

To another question, he said 136 vaccination centres were working and the Punjab government will procure around one million doses of coronavirus .

The CM also hailed the Punjab Police for its performance in implementing the Covid lockdown, and added that apart from police, military leadership has also assured full cooperation to the civil government for implementation on SOPs to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Regretting the rise in positive cases ratio in Punjab, he noted that the meeting has decided that all business activities will remain closed from 6 p.m. to Sehri except medical stores, petrol pumps, vaccination centres and other essential services.

The CM declared that private hospitals will be bound to reserve beds for Covid-19 patients and they will not be allowed to overcharge the corona patients. The healthcare commission had been directed to take steps in this regard, he added.

Meanwhile, Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Muhamamd Abdul Aziz stated that overcoming the spread of the corona pandemic was a national challenge and the Pakistan Army was ever-ready to assist the civil administration. The civil administration will be assisted in the implementation of the corona action plan and the army was standing with the people in this hour of trial, he added.