PM finalises mechanism for 'Coronavirus Relief Tiger Force'

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday chaired a meeting to finalise a mechanism to be adopted for 'Coronavirus Relief Tiger Force'- a volunteer programme aimed at carrying out activities at the time of the pandemic.
The premier chairing a consultative meeting attended by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar, PM's Principal Secretary Azam Khan, Shahzad Akber and others.
The meeting devised a mechanism for recruitment in the tiger force and the functions they had to carry out while volunteering their services. Usman Dar was given responsibility on the matter while the prime minister would record a special message for the volunteers.
The meeting decided that healthy youngsters aging above 18 years could register themselves for the force and would take part in managing affairs at the quarantine centres in urban and rural areas of the country.
"They will also take care of patients quarantined at their homes along with providing guidelines to the masses in hospitals and public places," the meeting decided besides the tigers would also collect data regarding suspected patients and unemployed people in their respective area of responsibility.
The volunteers will also assist police and local administration in implementing lockdown and would also identify hoarders and those hiking commodity prices.
They would also take part in making announcements on behalf of the authorities and burial arrangements. "The tiger force members will be briefed on daily basis from government officials on their responsibilities," the meeting decided.
It is pertinent to mention here that the number of deaths from the novel coronavirus rose to 11, while 1,408 have been affected countrywide, the latest statistics released by the National Command and Control Centre on coronavirus showed on Saturday.
The national dashboard, maintained by the Federal Ministry of Health, Punjab has overtaken Sindh as it has reported 490 cases, thus so far, Sindh's cases stand at 457, Balochistan 131, KP 180, Gilgit-Baltistan 91, Islamabad 27 and two cases were reported in Azad Kashmir.