ISLAMABAD: As corona cases and death toll increase rapidly across the country with average death rate of 72 to 75 per day, the government announced on Sunday that it would strictly monitor announced SOPs for workplaces and use of masks and warned that action would be taken against those not adhering to instruction.

People should wear the mask as it mandatory and not optional, warned Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza while briefing on the corona situation on Sunday and added that the government has decided to strictly monitor the mask and those who were found not wearing masks may face penalty or action. He said that monitoring of mask has been assigned to the provinces.

The decision of ease the lockdown has been taken to allow the business to work but at the same time to stop the spread of virus, wearing of masks is essential because it can stop the spread of virus by 40 to 60 percent. He asked to people to wear mask when visiting shops, markets and other places.

Dr Mirza said that 74 per cent death by corona virus was of those people who have been either over 50 years and had multiple diseases and special guidelines are available at ministry website that how to protect the elderly people and those having diabetes, sugar or other diseases from the virus.

The special assistant said that capacity of tests has been gradually and on Saturday 23,100 tests were conducted against the daily target of 30,000 and of 23100 tests conducted, there were 4960 positive cases, which is 21.4 percent.

Dr Zafar Mirza added that total 683,608 people have been tested so far in the country and 34 percent of those who have been corona positive from February onward have been recovered whereas more than 5,000 people are admitted in different hospitals.

Mirza dismissed any shortage of ventilators and maintained that 25 percent of the total available ventilators in the country are free as 75 percent of ventilators have not been in use so far.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020

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