Funds provided to health department for tackling COVID-19: CM

• He said that patients had been allowed home isolation and the government was taking every step to check the spread of this disease.
• The CM said the Punjab government had taken effective measures and the decision of closing educational institutions, marriage halls and cinemas was taken in the larger public interest.

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said on Friday that funds had been provided to the health department on priority basis as public health was the most important for the protection of masses.

He said in a meeting with Provincial Ministers Dr Yasmeen Rashid and Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed in his office here on Friday to discuss anti-coronavirus drive and future strategy. The CM stated that around 224,000 persons had so far been tested in Punjab, 6338 coronavirus patients had been recovered and 927 new cases had been reported during the last 24 hours.

Now, the number of patients in Punjab is 22964 and around 5400 have been tested during the last 24 hours, he added. He directed to implement the SOPs effectively, adding that public cooperation was imperative in this regard.

He said that patients had been allowed home isolation and the government was taking every step to check the spread of this disease.

The CM said the Punjab government had taken effective measures and the decision of closing educational institutions, marriage halls and cinemas was taken in the larger public interest.

He appealed to the people to cooperate with the government to deal with the coronavirus pandemic as this would yield positive results.

Every stratum will have to play its role and more steps will also be taken to protect public lives, he stated.

While issuing directions to ensure strict compliance of anti-coronavirus arrangements, the CM directed the line departments to get implement guidelines. Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid briefed the CM about anti-coronavirus arrangements.