While the daily diagnostics corona testing capacity in Punjab has reached to 4500, Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has approved the establishment of four additional diagnostic labs for coronavirus in the province.

In the first phase, labs will be set up in Sialkot and Sargodha while the facility will be provided in Rahim Yar Khan and Gujrat in the next phase.

A meeting of cabinet committee for the eradication of coronavirus was held here on Wednesday with CM Usman Buzdar in the chair. The meeting was briefed about the smart lockdown and phase-wise opening of industrial units during Ramazan-ul-Mubarak.

While directing the health department to speed up its work about enhancing testing capacity, the CM stated that up-gradation of labs in the Institute of Public Health and TB Control Programme has been completed and this facility is also provided to Allied Hospital Faisalabad, Nishtar Hospital Multan and THQ Hospital Wazirabad. In the meantime, and new labs in Bahawalpur, DG Khan and Rawalpindi will be made functional in the next few days, he informed.

During the last 24 hours, 2247 persons have been tested while more than 64000 citizens have undergone coronavirus tests in Punjab, till today. The total number of coronavirus patients in Punjab is 4431, he added.

The CM emphasized that practice of doing business with shutters down will not be allowed and the shop will be challaned and sealed under the anti-corona ordinance in case of violation.

He explained that Tandoors, milk and yoghurt shops will remain open during Sehri in Ramazan-ul-Mubarak while the restaurants will remain closed during Sehri and Iftaar. Similarly, implementation of 20 points safety strategy will be ensured for performing Namaz-e-Taraweeh and five prayers during Ramazan-ul-Mubarak and legal action will be initiated against the industry in case of SOPs' violation. About 216 localities have, so far, been locked down in Punjab, he further told.

The meeting also pondered over medical facilities for coronavirus patients, provision of PPEs and steps relating to partial lockdown.

Moreover, the Punjab government has issued gazette notification of The Punjab Prevention of Hoarding Ordinance, 2020. Under this ordinance, hoarders can be punished up to three years imprisonments and 50 per cent amount of confiscated material will be deposited in national exchequer while the concerned officer could also check the godown of any dealer without a warrant. Similarly, dealers would be bound to deposit their record of production, import and export, staff strength, sales and distribution with the concerned officers.

In this regard, the CM Usman Buzdar stated that the ordinance has been issued for taking stern action against those creating artificial crisis through hoarding. Action will be initiated against those hoarding 41 essential items and whistleblower will be given ten per cent of the deposited amount. Meanwhile, the hoarding offence will be non-bailable. He further said that hoarders are the public enemy and indiscriminate crackdown will be initiated against them because public interest is most dear to the government and any artificial price-hike will never be allowed.