Buzdar announces complete lockdown in Punjab cities with 12% positivity rate from April 1

F.P. Report

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar announced that there would be a complete lockdown from April 1 in cities of the province where the coronavirus positivity rate had been recorded at 12 per cent or more.

Amid the deteriorating situation of COVID-19 cases in Punjab, the Punjab Chief Minister Buzdar has decided to impose lockdown in cities with a rate of more than 12 percent.

This decision was taken in the meeting of Anti-Corona Cabinet Committee of Punjab on Monday.channel on Monday. Briefing the media in Lahore, he said the third wave of the coronavirus was far more serious than the previous two. 

“Cities of Punjab like Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi are the hardest-hit. The positivity rate in Lahore has reached 21 per cent,” he informed.  “Still, we do not want to shut down businesses, and nor we are doing so.

At the same time, however, we want people to cooperate with us because it is the matter of saving people’s lives,” he asserted. At the same time, however, he made it clear that complete lockdown did not mean bringing all kinds of business activities to a complete halt.

As per the NCOC figures on Monday, Lahore (17%), Rawalpindi (15%), Faisalabad (15%), Sargodha (12%), Sialkot (12%), and Multan (12%) are cities with 12% positivity ratio. Punjab Chief Secretary also warned the commissioners and deputy commissioners of registering FIRs against them in case of non-compliance with the Anti-Corona Cabinet Committee orders on lockdown restrictions.  Markets will be closed by 6 pm.   

There will be a complete ban on indoor and outdoor weddings events from today (Monday).

Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) and Metro Bus Service will remain closed in the lockdown. The committee has decided to put on the outdoor and indoor catering in restaurants and only take away service has been allowed.   It has been denounced that 10 persons will not be able to gather at one point.

Lahore Division Commissioner retired captain Muhammad Usman presented the suggestions before the provincial committee led by Punjab CM to contain the third wave of the coronavirus in Punjab.

The Punjab lockdown restrictions have been announced a day after the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) announced imposing lockdown in Covid-19 hotspots from Monday (today) along with a complete ban on all kinds of indoor and outdoor activities from April 5.

This was decided in a special meeting of the NCOC headed by Planning Minister Asad Umar and attended by all provincial chief secretaries.

The NCOC will be providing maps of the latest COVID-19 hotspots to the provinces. It has also empowered the provinces to clamp lockdown restrictions even before the time.

All kinds of political, cultural, sports and social gatherings are banned from March 29 (Monday).