The government of Punjab has decided to set up a team to come up with a policy to curb the coronavirus spread in the provincial capital.
In a meeting Friday, the team was tasked to come up with recommendations for a separate and effective management policy for Lahore as the cases of the novel coronavirus in the city continue to rise significantly.
Punjab Home Department’s Additional Chief Secretary Momin Agha will lead the team.
Earlier, Minister of Finance Hashim Jawan Bakht, the convener of the working group, said that the group has international experts from Yale Institute of Global Health, Centre of International Development Harvard, London School of Economics, Universities of George Town and Washington, CERP and Mahbubul Haq Centre to support the government for evidence-based policy making.
“The government will work towards an intelligent strategy to open up a few economic sectors and the smart contact tracing will help us quickly identify industries and economic sectors that are safe to operate,” he added.
He said this will be a carefully crafted approach so that the risk of infections is reduced and economic sectors are able to operate with certain SOPs on health, social distancing and behaviour change. The working group will meet regularly and share sampling design and predictive modelling with the Health Department and the recommendations for policy action with the Cabinet Committee on Prevention of Coronavirus Disease.
Also part of the meeting were Corp Commander Lahore Lt Gen Majid Ehsan, General Officer Commanding 10-Division Maj Gen Muhammad Aneeq-ur-Rehman Malik, Director-General Rangers Punjab Maj Gen Muhammad Aamir Majeed, IGP Punjab Shoaib Dastgir and Punjab Chief Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik.
