Punjab reports 40 deaths in last 24 hours: Proposal to extend lockdown under consideration

LAHORE: While there is a significant decline in the number of corona positive cases, the Punjab government is mulling to extend the complete lockdown in the province for another week.

However, a final decision may be taken in consultation with the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

After a sharp decline in the number of coronavirus infections during the Eid lockdown, the provincial home and health departments have proposed to the provincial government to extend the complete lockdown by another week from May 17, sources said, adding: “This is just a proposal, and final decision is expected by Sunday.”

The sources claimed that the proposal will be considered by the cabinet committee and afterward submitted to the NCOC for final decision.

However, the Punjab government has already extended holidays in educational institutions till May 23.

It may be added that the NCOC has also announced that the Metro Bus Service in Punjab will be resumed from Sunday morning.

Further, all the interprovincial, intercity and intra-city public transport will resume from Sunday instead of May 17. The transport will, however, be operative with 50% occupancy of passengers.

Moreover, out of 12,530 Covid-19 tests conducted during the last 24 hours, as many as 483 fresh virus cases and 40 fatalities were reported across the province taking the provincial tally of cases to 324,589 and death toll to 9322 with positivity rate of 3.85%.

With the recovery of 1999 more virus patients, the number of recovered patients in the province has reached 283,524.

After two Eid holidays, corona vaccination is being resumed from Sunday at the designated centres which will work from 8am to 8pm in two shifts. Health department has made necessary arrangements in this regard.

Health professionals have called for accelerating the vaccination process, as the World Health Organisation has issued a grim warning that the second year of Covid-19 was set to be far more deadly.

They said those who got first dose of vaccination should not delay the second dose and get the same on time. Punjab chief minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said that the number of corona vaccination centres is being increased in Lahore and other parts of the province.

“As compared with other provinces, more people are being vaccinated every day in Punjab,” he said, adding: “We have to learn to live with coronavirus with precautionary measures. The more precautionary measures citizens take, the safer they will remain.”

As per breakup of corona cases and deaths in major cities of the province, Lahore has so far reported 169,713 cases and 3822 deaths, Rawalpindi 24605 cases and 1398 deaths, Faisalabad 20133 cases and 981 deaths, Multan 16285 cases and 672 deaths, Bahawalpur 7367 cases and 223 deaths, Gujranwala 7871 cases and 350 deaths, Gujrat 6839 cases and 109 deaths, Rahim Yar Khan 5242 cases and 194 deaths, Sargodha 7727 cases and 233 deaths and Sialkot reported 6808 cases and 222 deaths.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021