Staff Reporter
Lahore
Punjab government on Sunday has decided to further stricken smart lockdown and close markets and shopping malls two to three days before Eid-ul-Azha to avoid spread of coronavirus in the province. Punjab chief secretary said that smart lockdown before Eid is required for reduction in COVID-19 cases. The notification in this regard will soon be issued, he added.
Sources told that cattle markets, utility stores, milk shops, tandoors and medical stores will remain open during the lockdown. Decision to strictly implement standard operation procedures (SOPs) in cattle markets has also been taken. The move came after Pakistan confirmed 35 deaths in a single day by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has surged to 273,113. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 5,822.
According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) 1,226 persons have been tested positive for COVID-19 in 24 hours. Sindh remains the worst-hit province by the pandemic in terms of cases followed by Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad.
Till now 117,598 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 91,901 in Punjab, 33,220 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 14,841 in Islamabad, 11,578 in Balochistan, 2,023 in Azad Kashmir and 1,952 in Gilgit-Baltistan. Pakistan has so far conducted 1,868,180 coronavirus tests and 23,254 in last 24 hours. 237,434 coronavirus patients have recovered in the country whereas 1,267 patients are in critical condition.
