Execution of action plan reviewed: Government describes coronavirus as national challenge

The National Coordination Committee on Coronavirus, constituted by the National Security Committee, held its first meeting Saturday and reviewed the measures to ensure implementation on the National Action Plan to prevent spread of COVID-19.

The meeting held under the chairmanship of its convener Dr Zafar Mirza, prime minister's special assistant on national health services, was attended by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major-General Babar Iftikhar and provincial chief ministers through video link.

Other participants included Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant on National Security Division Dr Moeed Yusuf, secretaries Health, Finance, Information and Broadcasting, and the NDMA chairman. The meeting reaffirmed the government's commitment to utilize all resources to protect people from the virus. The meeting was informed that provinces had started implementing the decisions made in the NSC meeting Friday.

Addressing the meeting, Dr Mirza said coronavirus was a national challenge and implementation of the joint National Action Plan was being ensured to cope with the situation. The meeting overviewed the implementation of the decisions taken by the NSC in which it was decided that entire western border with Iran and Afghanistan would be closed for two weeks, closure of all educational/technical institutions, public and private, at all levels for three weeks, limiting all international flights only to three [Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore] airports, reinforcement of screening and administrative measures at all sea ports, and others.

Dr Mirza said that the confirmed coronavirus cases were 29 so far in Pakistan. However, he said that the people need not to create panic and emphasized the need for taking precautionary measures with responsibility to cope with the spread of the virus. He said that all available resources were being utilized for the safety and wellbeing of the people.

He said that all the entry points across the country were being strictly monitored and the screening system was further being strengthened to ensure that no infected case enters into the country. He said that isolation centers had been set up at the hospitals across the county and facilities were also being extended to Gilgit-Baltistan.

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that an effective and comprehensive strategy had been devised together with the provinces to stop the virus turn into an epidemic in the country. She said that the safety and wellbeing of the people was the top-most priority of the government. She said that the National Coordination Committee would continue to monitor and review the situation.