Yasmin Rashid appeals to masses to avoid public gatherings over COVID-19 fear

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Health Dr. Yasmin Rashid on Friday appealed to the masses to avoid participation in public gatherings amid fear that a second wave may hit the province, once again disrupting economic and day-to-day activities, ARY NEWS reported.

“A gradual increase in COVID-19 cases is witnessed during the past week in Punjab,” she said adding that a minimal increase in COVID-19 patients is being witnessed across the Punjab hospitals recently.

Dr. Yasmin Rashid said that they had overcome the virus cases in Punjab province after hectic efforts and any lapse or negligence during implementation upon the SOPs could ruin all such measures.

“We have prepared SOPs to be followed during public gatherings,” she said but appealed to the masses to refrain from attending such gatherings.

The minister also asked the concerned authorities to implement upon the virus-related SOPs in the educational institutes.

While citing an example of the Sindh province, she said that the authorities there had already imposed lockdown in parts of the province after a sharp increase in cases. “Similar scenario could emerge in Punjab and could disturb the day to day routine,” the Punjab health minister said.

It is pertinent to mention here that Punjab on Thursday reported 124 new cases of COVID-19 with two deaths by the disease in the last 24 hours.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in a statement today said that the province has 1521 active cases of coronavirus. He said Punjab has overall 10,02,72 cases of novel coronavirus, while 96,506 patients have recovered to health.

“In the last 24 hours two patients died by COVID-19, while the total count of deaths by the disease in Punjab has been 2,247,” the chief minister said.