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LAHORE: The Punjab government today (Monday) announced that ‘effective’ lockdowns will be enforced in districts with a COVID-19 positivity rate of more than 12 percent from April 1 to contain the third wave.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on coronavirus, Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar said, “The lockdown will continue till April 11.”
However, he said, the provincial government will not impose any restrictions on economic activities or industries. “There will be a complete ban on wedding events and other gatherings in the province,” he announced.
“It was also decided to close down the mass transit transport system which includes the Orange Line Metro Train and the Speedo bus service,” the chief minister added. He further said restrictions, imposed on sporting, cultural and social activities, will continue to be in place.
Usman Buzdar also said, “Parks will be closed. Commercial timings for bazaars and markets will be till 6pm, while shops will remain closed two days of the week.” He also urged the people of province to strictly follow the precautionary measures, saying, “You will protect yourself and your family members by wearing face masks.”
The chief minister pointed out that the current wave of the COVID-19 was more dangerous than the previous ones. “Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Faisalabad and Multan have more positive cases,” he highlighted.
He further said that the positivity rate in Lahore over the last 24 hours was recorded as 21 percent. “In this regard, hospitals are rapidly filling up and the health system is under pressure,” he added.
