ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday directed officials to ensure implementation of the smart lockdown strategy by involving local community leaders as well as the volunteers of the Tiger Force.
The PM’s directions came as Pakistan confirmed 89 deaths in a single day by coronavirus, taking the nationwide tally of fatalities to 3,590, as the number of positive cases surged to 181,088.
According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 4,471 persons tested positive for Covid-19 in 24 hours. Sindh became the worst-hit province by the pandemic in terms of cases followed by Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. As of Monday, 69,628 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 66,943 in Punjab, 21,997 in KP, 9,475 in Balochistan, 10,912 in Islamabad, 1,288 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and 845 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Furthermore, 1,435 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab, 1,089 in Sindh, 821 in KP, 102 in Balochistan, 101 in Islamabad, 22 in GB and 20 in AJK.
Chairing a review meeting on the pandemic situation, the prime minister also directed for finalisation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for Eidul Azha in consultation with the provincial governments as soon as possible.
“This time, Eidul Azha will be being celebrated under extraordinary circumstances. The current situation demands that clear SOPs should be formulated as soon as possible for the protection of the people and their strict implementation be ensured,” the prime minister said.
Imran said that implementation of the smart lockdown strategy must be ensured. He directed for involving of local leaders and the communities. He also called for seeking help from the Tiger Force to create public awareness about the lockdowns and their implementation.
The meeting discussed the overall pandemic situation, increase in the number of oxygenated beds in hospitals, demand and supply of oxygen, implementation of smart lockdown in affected areas and the arrangements for Eidul Azha.
On the occasion, the prime minister was briefed about the efforts being made to increase the number of beds reserved for Covid-19 patients in the hospitals in all the four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
