Strict measures cannot be avoided in case of raise in coronavirus cases: CM

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that strict measures can not be avoided if the numbers of coronavirus patients increased at the same pace in the province.

Addressing a press conference at CM’s office here on Saturday, he said that the Usman Buzdar that the situation was quite dangerous, adding that courts and National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had given decisions with regard to public gatherings.

The administration would take decisions regarding public gatherings according to the law, he said.

The CM said the government would take every step in accordance to the law.

He said that according to the NCOC and court’s decisions gatherings are illegal so how could be holding of illegal gatherings be allowed? He said that no one could hold a larger public gathering than the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

He said that PTI had also stopped holding its public meetings. "If anybody wants to move no confidence, it would be countered," he said.

Buzdar said the action was taken on the violation of SOPs in markets.

He said that the government did not want to be more strict and wanted the business activities to continue.

However, he added that if Standard Operating Procedure SOPs had not been followed then more strict measures would be taken.

The chief minister said the number of patients were increasing in hospitals.

He said the second wave of the COVID-19 had resulted in 19941 positive coronavirus cases in the province and all the new cases had been surfaced during the last two months.

He said that 540 new cases and 22 deaths had been reported during the last 24 hours. He said that 2 million 60 thousand coronavirus tests had so far been conducted in Punjab, including 13,000 tests conducted on the previous day.

He said that the proliferation ratio of positive coronavirus tests had increased from 3 percent to 10 percent which was an alarming.

He said that more than 2000 smart lockdowns were imposed in Punjab including more than 625 in Lahore.

He said that number of coronavirus patients in Lahore had increased and this city was on top of the list with regard to coronavirus patients.

"If the situation has reached to such an alarming limit then who can stop spreading coronavirus for not observing precautionary measures," he added.

Usman Buzdar said that the government was taking serious measures for protecting the people from coronavirus.

He said that hospitals allocated for the treatment of coronavirus patients had been reactivated. Ventilators and other facilities were being provided in these hospitals, he said.

He said that funds of more than one billion rupees had been provided to the health department and all the teaching hospitals had been restored on their position of June while High Dependency Units HDUs had been restored in the hospitals.

The chief minister said the order had been given to procure more anti-coronavirus injections.

"Field hospitals of 300 oxygen beds have been reactivated in EXPO centre here," he added.

He said that Punjab had 1400 ventilators out of which 600 had been reserved for the coronavirus patients.

In a response to a question, the CM said that more good news would be given about the provincial capital, adding that major initiatives would be taken for the development of Lahore.

Provincial Ministers Raja Basharat, Dr Yasmin Rashid and SACM on Information Dr Firdos Ashiq Awan were also present on this occasion.