STAFF REPORTER
ISLAMABAD Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said that the lockdown measures were not only hurting the poor but the affluent as well and keeping this in mind, the government was working to formulate a strategy based on which an affected person or area is identified and that individual or place is quarantined so that it does not affect others. Asad Umar, addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Sunday, said that novel coronavirus is still spreading in the country but its pace is very low which is encouraging. “Our main task is to trace those who are infected with Covid-19 and for this we need to ramp up our testing capacity across the country,” he said. The National Coordination Committee on Covid-19 had decided to extend the lockdown till April 14, said the minister, adding that the decision helped in curtailing the spread of coronavirus which is a positive development. “But if the number of coronavirus patients continues to rise then we fear that it might create problems for our health sector,” he warned. Umar, who also heads the National Command and Control Centre for coronavirus, said hospitals where ICU and ventilator facility is available will be provided protective gears on priority basis. “I cannot predict what will be the situation after April 14,” he said. Umar said that the government has taken measures to ensure the protection of medical staff and expand the capacity of hospitals across the country and is developing a mechanism to provide protective gear, ventilators and other important medical equipment.He paid tribute to healthcare workers, volunteers, police and personnel of law enforcement agencies who are working around the clock.
