‘Rate of coronavirus locally transmitted cases reached 52 pc in Pakistan’

ISLAMABAD: The rate of locally transmitted cases of coronavirus has risen to 52 per cent in Pakistan which needed to be controlled immediately after increasing the COVID-19 testing capacity, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said on Monday.

Dr Zafar Mirza, while addressing a joint press conference with planning minister Asad Umar, said the health authorities were making maximum efforts to controlling the local transmission of coronavirus disease. He emphasised the need for increasing the capacity of COVID-19 tests.

“We were conducted 800 tests per day earlier when the country received testing kits while the capacity is now increased to 3,000 in a day. The capacity will be hiked to 20-25,000 per day by the end of April. At this time, Pakistan is capable of conducting 600,000 tests which would be taken to 10-15 lakhs by the end of this month.”

The health adviser clarified that there was no shortage of testing kits and other medical equipment in Pakistan. Dr Mirza elaborated that the government is providing personal protection equipment (PPEs) on priority basis to the medics working on the front line to fight COVID-19.

“Pakistan will be able to locally produce protection equipment including N95 respirator masks within the next few weeks. The country will produce 1,000 N95 masks per day,” said SAPM.

“It is a big challenge for us to stop the spread of the pandemic on regional level. 34 laboratories will be made functional for corona testing in few days. The incurable disease can be eliminated by improving facilities of timely tracing, testing and isolation [of the patients].”