21% Covid positivity sets off alarm bells in Lahore

As coronavirus positive test ratio has touched alarmingly high rate of 21% in the provincial capital, the government decided to enforce strict lockdown in Lahore and other districts having positive test ratio of over 12% from April 1.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar made this announcement after presiding over the meeting of the Cabinet Committee for the Eradication of Coronavirus at his office on Monday.

He announced the government has decided to impose a ban on all sorts of public gathering including wedding events. Marriage hall, banquet and marquees will be closed down and no permission will be granted to hold an indoor or outdoor event of any sort.

Buzdar highlighted that the province was facing the third coronavirus wave which was more intense than the second and first wave while the average positivity rate has reached 14%.

The majority of positive cases has been reported in Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Faisalabad and Multan as the positive test ratio has remained 21% in Lahore during the last 24 hours.

“This is a very serious situation as the health system has started to overburden with swelling number of coronavirus patients,” he said.

The chief minister indicated that this smart lockdown would continue till April 11 while the cabinet committee will take stock of the situation after seven days to take further decisions.

“The government is not going to put restrictions on economic activities adding that industries, goods transports and construction industries will continue their work according to the routine while ensuring strict compliance of SOPs,” he maintained.

Briefing the media persons about the latest coronavirus situation and decisions taken in the cabinet committee meeting, he said the coronavirus situation is critical in some cities of the province as positive cases have reached 215,227 as 2,309 positive cases have been reported during yesterday.

The total number of positive cases has reached 23,106 and 252 patients are in critical condition, he added. So far 6,244 have been died owing coronavirus of which 39 patients have lost their lives during the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, 15,780 have also been tested during this period, he added.

He announced that a decision has also been made to close down mass transit transport which includes metro bus service, orange line metro train and speedo bus service to minimise movement of commuters.

Indoor and outdoor dining will also be banned in hotels and restaurants while takeaways and home delivery services will continued working as per routine.

Sports, cultural, social and other gatherings will be totally banned. Public parks will remain close during lockdown period. All markets, bazaars and commercial centers will be closed at 6:00pm. Shops will remain closed two days of the week, he added.

Along with it, 126 vaccine centres are established in the province and 121,527 healthcare workers have been given the first dose.

A total of 456,000 doses of corona vaccine have been received and 54,885 healthcare workers have also been given the second dose. As many as 151,447 citizens of more than 60 years of age have been vaccinated as well, he added.

Responding to a question about school fee concession, Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas said students were given a fee discount last year when schools were closed down by the government. “We have to give relief to both parents as well as schools as several schools were closed down afterwards,” he said, pointing out that schools were not closed down in 26 districts and students were attending classes with SOPs.

Prompt Punishment

Meanwhile, local administration kept citizens standing on roads for 30 minutes for not wearing facemasks. Assistant commissioners also distributed facemasks among citizens while city police registered dozens of FIRs in different police stations over coronavirus SOPs violations and arrested over 11 citizens for not adhering to warning to use facemasks.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2021.