Punjab cabinet mulls over various options to deal coronavirus outbreak

LAHORE: Punjab cabinet has mulled over recommendations to impose lockdown in provincial cities that are most-affected from the coronavirus, ARY NEWS reported on Tuesday.

According to sources privy to the details of the cabinet committee meeting chaired by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, the participants mulled over different recommendations to deal with any outbreak of coronavirus.

The committee in the first phase decided to announce holidays for all government employees in the province except those serving on essential duties other than partial closure of markets in the second phase.

It was decided to open coronavirus preventive measures in all major cities especially those in Southern Punjab.

The recommendations of the cabinet committee will be laid before the apex committee on Wednesday (tomorrow) for deciding the formal strategy to deal with the virus spread.

Earlier, during the meeting, the chief minister formed a team under the provincial finance minister to review economic fallout from the virus while committees would also be formed under concerned deputy commissioners comprising of civil society members to raise awareness regarding the preventive measures at the district level.

The chief minister also directed to start local production of sanitizers and masks and informed that the NDMA would provide 10,000 safety gears within a week to Punjab province.

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“We have already received 1000 preventive gears and will receive 5000 more soon,” he said adding that they would take all measures to secure the medics treating the coronavirus patients.

“We will not spare the hoarders and will deal them with iron-fist,” he said adding that during ongoing actions in Rawalpindi and Lahore, 90,000 surgical masks were recovered.

Usman Buzdar said that the province would establish a quarantine facility to accommodate over 3000 suspected patients at the Labor Colony in Multan. “The hostels of the educational institutes will also be utilised for the purpose,” the chief minister said.