The public transport and tourist spots in Punjab will be shut down for two weeks from May 8 in the light of a surge in coronavirus cases and to curb movement on Eid.
The government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decide to increase restrictions amid news that the province is facing a shortage of testing kits.
Health Minister Yasmin Rashid said the government will establish checkpoints across the province to control the movement of people. Police, Rangers, and army personnel will be deployed to monitor the situation, she added.
“In order to control the coronavirus situation in the province, the next 20 days are crucial,” Dr Rashid said, urging the people to celebrate Eid in a simple manner. She said people should prove themselves to be responsible citizens and follow the anti-virus measures to curb the spread of the disease.
In the past 24 hours, 4,113 people tested positive for COVID-19 while 119 lost their lives, according to the latest statistics released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). Most casualties were seen in the province of Punjab followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Till now, Pakistan has recorded 18,429 deaths. Punjab is on top of the list with 8,741 casualties followed by Sindh:4,687; KP:3,466; Islamabad: 698; Balochistan: 239; GB: 107 and AJK: 491.
A total of 841,636 cases have been detected so far in the country with AJK reporting 17,465; Balochistan:22,776; GB:5,341; ICT: 76,696, KP:121,099; Punjab: 310,616 and Sindh: 287,643.
