The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will spend Rs34 billion to combat the coronavirus, and eight billion have already been disbursed to the hospitals across the province, in addition to Rs5 billion waiver in terms of various taxes.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, KP Information Minister Ajmal Wazir said that the proposed package will cover as many as 1.9 million people.

Wazir said the KP government has increased the number of testing kits to 500 and has ensured the provision of all the necessary kits to the hospitals. He said that CM KP is himself on the frontline in the fight against the coronavirus, thanking the doctors and medical staff, who he said “are the vanguard in this battle.”

“We pay salute to the frontliners in this battle against this pandemic, but there are elements that thrive on the miseries of the people. We’ll take stern actions against the hoarders.”

The minister said that the extension to the lockdown has “ drawn good response,” and suggested the people take “maximum precautions” in order to keep the virus at bay.

He said that “the KP government is conveying the medical equipment received from NDMA to the districts.”

“Currently there are 180 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, in addition to 820 suspected cases,” Ajmal Wazir said, and added that the provincial government “extended Rs 5bn relief in terms of waiver in various taxes.”