In a bid to control the third coronavirus outbreak, the government of Punjab has decided to impose a complete lockdown in the province between May 8 and 16.

This was decided in a meeting chaired by the provincial health minister, Dr. Yasmin Rashid on Wednesday.

The meeting decided to suspend all commercial, recreational activities and public transport across the province on the designated dates.

The checkpoints will be set up at all the entry and exit routes of each city, while police Rangers and Army personnel will be deployed to monitor the situation.

“In order to control the coronavirus situation in the province, the next 20 days are crucial,” Dr. Rashid said, adding that the government is making all-out efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

She urged people to celebrate Eid ul Fitr in a simple and strictly adhere to the coronavirus SOPs to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

Despite all government efforts, the pandemic doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. On Tuesday, Pakistan reported 4,113 new infections, pushing the national caseload to 841,636 across the country. With 119 new fatalities, the country's death toll stands at 18,590