LAHORE: Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab on Information Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that the Punjab government is considering imposing a complete lockdown in Lahore amid a surge in coronavirus cases.
Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Talking to the media on Sunday hinted at imposing a complete lockdown in the provincial capital.
Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that wearing a facemask has been declared mandatory and strict action will be taken against the violators. She said that the coronavirus pandemic can be dealt with by following standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The special assistant said a final decision will be taken tomorrow in the NCOC meeting. Punjab Chief Usman Buzdar will especially attend the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) meeting, she added.
Amid the rising number of Covid-19 cases, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) banned Sunday both indoor and outdoor gatherings across the country.
The coronavirus monitoring body took the decisions in a meeting held today (Sunday). The meeting was chaired by the Federal Minister of Planning and Development Asad Umar, whereas, chief ministers of all four provinces attended it via video link.
In a statement, the NCOC announced a complete ban on marriages, including indoor and outdoor, from 5th April onwards. “However, provinces will be at liberty to implement restrictions in an early time frame as per the situation on the ground,” it added.
The NCOC further stated that the government is also mulling the prospects of more restrictions on inter-provincial traveling. “Various options for reduction of inter-provincial transport were considered,” the statement read.
“However, the final decision will be taken based on the input from all provinces and an analysis of the data about the number of inter-provincial commuters via air, rail and road,” said the NCOC.
The third wave of the coronavirus continues to ring alarm bells for Pakistan as 4,767 new cases of the virus were reported across the country on Sunday in a single day.
Fifty-seven more people died from the virus while 4,767 more contracted the disease on Sunday, according to figures obtained from the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).
