Covid-19 cases on decline in Punjab: Yasmin Rashid

Health minister says six new vaccination centres being set up in province; warns vading precaution could worsen spread

RAWALPINDI:

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yamin Rashid said on Sunday that Covid-19 cases were declining throughout the province, with 520 patients on oxygen beds and only eight on ventilators.

While visiting the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology, Rashid said that Rawalpindi's Covid-19 positivity ratio had dropped down to 3.5%. She added that out of 2,000 available oxygen beds only 520 were in use in Lahore, whereas 200 ventilators were also unoccupied.

"The implementation of SOPs has reduced Covid-19 cases. Today 28,973 tests were conducted in Punjab and only 901 cases emerged," stated the provincial health minister.

"For the first time, the number of daily Covid-19 cases dropped to less than a 1,000, which means a clear reduction in overall cases", she further added.

The situation in Punjab is a lot better than the situation in India, the minister observed.

Read Punjab to expedite Covid vaccination

While discussing restrictive measures, the minister was confident that SOPs were adhered to across the province.

Smart lockdowns are being implemented as needed throughout the province. Marriage halls and indoor events are banned while public transport is running on 50% passenger capacity.
All sports activities are also completely banned presently whereas commercial activities are being closed down after 8pm, she emphasised.

The minister ensured that the health sector is being prioritised by the government.

She said health centers in Rawalpindi were functioning better and vaccine injections were available.

Rashid also said that presently, in Rawalpindi, treatment of Covid patients was free and available vaccines included AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and CanSino. She urged people to get their due vaccines and announced that six new vaccination centers were also being set up this week.

Lastly, the minister urged the public not to take the pandemic lightly and that evading precaution could worsen the spread of the disease.