Punjab is all set to scale up contact tracing and increase the number of smart lockdowns in the wake of increasing number of coronavirus cases, said Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid at the NCOC meeting at the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department in Lahore on Saturday. 

Present on the occasion were Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Secretary Nabeel Awan and Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Secretary Sarah Aslam. Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Faisal Sultan, health ministers of all provinces and officials of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) attended the meeting via video link. 

Dr Yasmin Rashid apprised the participants of the measures aimed at increasing the capacity of public sector hospitals, vaccination status, implementation of SOPs and smart lockdowns. Federal Minister Asad Omar appreciated the Punjab government’s efforts to control the coronavirus pandemic.

The health minister said, “The government of Punjab is utilizing all resources to control the pandemic. The treatment capacity of government hospitals is being gradually improved. SOPs are being implemented. Overall, we are vaccinating around 27,000 citizens per day. The coronavirus testing capacity is also being continuously improved. 

“Our current focus is on scaling up the contact tracing. Smart lockdowns are being enforced in cities showing higher positivity ratio. People are being regularly updated about the seriousness of the situation and the importance of SOPs. Oxygen supply has remained uninterrupted for all hospitals. Punjab is getting more vaccines very soon. During the holy month of Ramazan, the vaccination of citizens is being undertaken in two shifts. The morale of the frontline health workers is very high.”