Govt enhancing testing capacity to implement “Smart lockdown”: Moeed Yusuf

ISLAMABAD, Apr 19 (APP):Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Security Dr Moeed Yusuf Sunday said the government was enhancing testing capacity for COVID-19 diagnosis to implement Smart lockdown in the country.

Addressing a media briefing on coronavirus situation at National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the SAPM said the government was going to reach out masses to conduct COVID-19 tests so that only affected areas were sealed instead of putting the entire country under lockdown.

He said the core focus of the government was to increase the testing capacity with the prime focus on testing those remained close to coronavirus positive persons.

He noted that the testing capacity was increased 17 times across the country and 7847 tests were being conducted per day, whereas efforts were underway to attain the capacity of 20,000 tests per day by the end of this month.

Dr Moeed said the factories and industries would be opened in phases.
He also updated on the recent position of coronavirus affected, recovered and those lost lives across the world and in the country.

“Around 2,332,000 confirmed coronavirus patients are reported across the world with 160,000 deaths and 600,000 people have fully recovered,” he mentioned.

He said around 7,993 people were affected by COVID-19 in Pakistan with 514 positive cases reported in the past 24 hours. The maximum cases in last 24 hours were reported in Punjab 298 whereas 138 cases were reported in Sindh.

He added that recent statistics revealed that 63 percent of the virus contraction was due to local transmission. “As many as 159 deaths have occurred in Pakistan due to coronavirus so far with 16 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours.”

He feared that the deaths due to coronavirus might increase as 47 coronavirus affected patients were in critical condition. “Around 1867 coronavirus patients have recovered in Pakistan with 24 percent health recovery ratio whereas coronavirus is active in 5996 people. The death ratio in the country is 1.9 percent in Pakistan which is 6.9 percent across the world.”

He informed that 80 percent of the coronavirus affected patients were affected from various diseases other than the virus whereas only 20 percent died of coronavirus had no other disease.

Dr Moeed added that the land borders of Chaman and Torkham were going to be opened to repatriate stranded Pakistanis in Afghanistan. Around 500 Pakistanis would be brought back at a time from Torkham Border and 300 from Chaman Border.

“The repatriated Pakistanis will be quarantined for 48 hours at the quarantine centre set up at the border and by the next day test would be conducted.”
He said those showing negative tests would be self quarantined at homes and the positive cases would be shifted for further treatment.

Dr Moeed mentioned that overseas Pakistanis comprising labourers who became unemployed due to the pandemic in UAE, those whose visas had expired and the prisoners set free in Bahrain would be brought back through PIA flights.