Govt reactivates 300-bed Covid field hospital

The following surge in coronavirus cases, the Punjab government has reactivated a 300-bed field hospital in Lahore Expo Centre and ordered necessary medicine to deal with any untoward situation.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has warned that the proliferation ratio of positive coronavirus tests has increased from 3% to an alarming level of 10%. As many as 540 new coronavirus cases were surfaced and 22 deaths had been reported during the last 24 hours. The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in 19,941 positive coronavirus cases in the province. All these cases have been surfaced during the last two months.

Addressing a joint news conference with Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid and Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Buzdar highlighted that the province has total 1,400 ventilators out of which 600 have been reserved for the coronavirus patients. So far, over two million coronavirus tests have been conducted in the province, including 13,000 in the provincial capital on Friday.

The government has imposed smart lockdown in over 2,000 areas across Punjab, including at 625 places in the provincial capital.

He asked citizens to observe safety standard operating procedures (SOPs) otherwise the government has to enforce strict measures to rein in the rising cases of coronavirus in the province.

He highlighted that coronavirus cases are increasing rapidly in Punjab, especially in the provincial capital.

Lahore is on the top of the list concerning coronavirus patients. If the situation has reached such an alarming limit then who can stop spreading coronavirus for not observing precautionary measures. This could lead to an alarming situation.

Buzdar said the government was taking serious measures for protecting the people from coronavirus. Ventilators and other facilities are being provided in these hospitals. Funds of more than Rs1 billion rupees have been provided to the Punjab Health Department.

In a response to a question about PDM rally in Lahore on December 13, Buzdar said the situation was quite dangerous. Courts and the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) have given decisions with regard to public gatherings. The administration will make a decision about public gatherings as per provision of the law.

“We have also reduced party events and gathering to minimise the threat of coronavirus,” he added.

The local administration is taking action on a violation of coronavirus SOPs in markets.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2020.