Punjab Health Minister Yasmin Rashid said on Tuesday that Punjab's death rate is 1.8 per cent but most of the deaths in Punjab occurred due to other previous illnesses in patients.

In a briefing, the minister said that among its South Asian neighbours, Pakistan is conducting the most coronavirus tests. She said that many patients that are in quarantine in Punjab are asymptomatic. "We are trying its best to ramp up the testing capacity in the province to check the local transmission."

She was of the view that the biggest risk lied in bringing Covid-19 patients to major hospitals as there are chances of infecting others. "Therefore, we are taking all patients to field hospitals and are in the process of developing more," she said, adding: "Our goal is to keep the field hospitals running with the staff that they have already; however, more will be called in if need be."

She said that all the medical facilities for the treatment of coronavirus patients are available at Multan's Nishtar Hospital. "Not a single ventilator of Nishtar Hospital has been sent to any other place," she said. She also pledged to conduct coronavirus tests of 3,800 doctors and paramedical staff.

Moreover, Task Force on Corona is conducting research on COVID-19 under the supervision of Prof. Ata-ur-Rehman and in the next 10-12 months, there can be breakthrough regarding the Corona vaccine, Principal of the Post Graduate Medical Institute and member of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology Task Force on Corona, Prof. Dr. Sardar Muhammad Al-freed Zafar, said.

Talking to media, he said like 9/11, a new world will emerge after COVID-19 and all countries will have to spend more money on the health sector. He added that social distancing is the only solution to overcome the problem of corona and if people implement on the Government's instruction and SOPs in government institutions them corona could be controlled up to maximum.

Talking to Sargodha University Vice Chancellor Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmad and University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Vice Chancellor Dr. Naseem Ahmed who presented cheques of Rs 4.3 million and Rs 1.4 million respectively, the Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar said that Taraveeh prayers in mosques are banned in Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries but we have allowed these prayers in mosques despite high danger of coronavirus.

Talking to media, the Governor Sarwar said that unemployment and other problems are increasing in Pakistan due to coronavirus pandemic. In the prevailing situation, the poor families need more help and support during Ramazan-ul-Mubarak.