-Corona Tiger Force mobilized
-Total virus cases jump over 21,000 as Sindh leading the tally
-Recoveries pace up to 5,635
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the lockdown in the country has to be lifted slowly but gradually to mitigate the economic impact on the people of Pakistan.
“We need to lift the lockdown so that people can get jobs. But we have to be careful because all of our efforts will go in vain if people don’t take precautionary measures.”
The premier added that this will be where the volunteer force will come in. “You will go to union councils and publicise the government’s guidelines.”
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said that 17,000 of the people who had volunteered for the Corona Relief Tiger Force belonged to the medical community.
Speaking alongside Prime Minister Imran Khan during his address to the volunteer force, the PM’s aide said: “No one really knows how long this disease will last […] everyone needs to play their role.”
He added that medical professionals will be given specific roles so that they can help the government in implementing standard operating procedures. “Doctors will also volunteer for telehealth initiatives so that they can give advice to patients over the phone,” he said.
Prime Minister Imran Khan outlined the role of the Corona Relief Tiger Force, stating that the volunteer force is required to strike a balance between saving people from the virus and saving them from hunger and unemployment. “Volunteers will have to register all those that have lost their jobs due to the lockdown at their respective union councils. Not everyone can register themselves so that is where the force will come in.”
He added that volunteers will also monitor the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme and give the Centre feedback. “If you see hoarding anywhere, don’t take action yourself but tell the administration. They will take action,” he added. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan has soared to 20,186, as the country reported 1,083 fresh cases during last 24 hours, newsmen reported on Monday.
According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center, till now 7,524 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Punjab, 7,465 in Sindh, 3,129 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,218 in Balochistan, 415 in Islamabad, 364 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 71 in Azad Kashmir. With 22 more fatalities from novel coronavirus in last 24 hours, the overall death toll in the country has reached 462.
Number of patients recovered from coronavirus is 5,590 now, while 14,134 are still under treatment. The country tested 9,522 patients in last 24 hours and so far the total number of the coronavirus tests conducted in Pakistan stands at 2,12,511.
Talking to his adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan who called on him in the capital, the prime minister said the biggest challenge was to provide relief to a common man hit the hardest by lockdown restrictions enforced to stem the spread of the deadly virus.
He said he is happy that his economic team hammered out an emergency action plan in a timely manner.
PM Khan announced that the government is going to take big steps to accelerate economic activity in the country. 152 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus have emerged in Punjab, taking the provincial tally to 7,646, the Primary and Healthcare Department said on Monday. The health department said five more people died from the deadly virus during the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 126. 2,680 of the total patients have recovered thus far, it added. 25 Covid-19 patients are in critical condition, whereas 96,854 tests have been conducted to date. The health department said of the total cases, 2,532 cases have been detected in the provincial capital.
Meanwhile, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said the provincial government is going all-out to ensure proper treatment of coronavirus patients. Chairing a meeting in Lahore today, she said more measures are being taken for better treatment of patients in intensive care units.
The provincial minister said the province has sufficient doctors and paramedical staff in public sector hospitals. She said the morale of doctors is high, who are serving Covid-19 patients selflessly. 417 new cases of the novel coronavirus were detected and seven patients died over the past 24 hours in Sindh pushing the death toll to 137, according to Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.
In his regular video message on the coronavirus situation in the province today, he said 417 new cases were diagnosed as positive when 2,571 tests were conducted. So far, 66,623 tests have been carried out in the province, he added.
The number of people infected with the coronavirus in the province has jumped to 7882 with the addition of the new infections. CM Murad said 74patients were cured of the deadly disease over the previous 24 hours, taking the number of patients recovered to 1,222.
He said 6,116 patients are under treatment, including 4,954 in home isolation, while 615 are being kept at isolation centres and 507 at different hospitals. 79 patients are in critical condition, of them 16 are on ventilators, he added. Of the total 417 new cases, 357 were detected in Karachi, including 123 cases in Malir, 91 cases in district South, 51 in district Central, 44 in district East, 30 in district West and 18 in Korangi.
Sukkur recorded 20 new cases of the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, Ghotki eight, Hyderabad four, Jacobabad three, Sanghar and Sujawal one each.
