Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar on Saturday said that the threat of the coronavirus is still there, therefore people need to remain cautious and show responsibility.
The CM said that the decision to ease the lockdown came keeping in view the difficulties faced by the common man. He urged citizens to follow the standard operating procedures laid out by the government in order to remain safe from the coronavirus. He said that action will be taken against those violating the SOPs, adding that the government is vigilant regarding the situation arising out of the virus outbreak.
The chief minister explained that the Punjab government adopted a multilateral approach to the tackle the situation. He added that if people stay at homes then the chances of spread of the virus will lessen, adding that protection lies in following the social distancing policy.
A day ago, the Punjab government decided in principle to allow public transport to resume. Punjab finalised the SOPs in a meeting with the transport association, with the latter’s representative agreeing to reduce the fares on the back of a steep decline in petroleum prices. It was decided that the passengers would be obligated to wear face masks and maintain a distance of three feet during travel. Transporters were also bound to check the temperature of everyone travelling and avoid overloading their vehicles. Punjab currently has more than 14,000 cases of infection and reported more than 240 deaths.
The chief minister said that government has adopted multidimensional strategy to deal with the epidemic and collective insight decisions have been taken under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Protection and safety lies in by strictly following the policy of social distancing, he said, adding that the spread of coronavirus can only be minimized when people will prefer to stay at home. He said that government minutely monitoring the situation occurred due to coronavirus that is why lockdown has been eased by realizing the circumstances and economic hardships of common man.
He said citizens have to act responsibly on the guidelines issued by the government to cope with corona pandemic. “The people should not let away the precautionary measures to stop spread of coronavirus. Protect yourself and others from corona by staying at homes,” he added.
Buzdar appealed to the citizens that they should not leave homes unnecessarily as less interaction will ensure the less spread of the disease. He said that every step of the government is being taken for the betterment of the people of the province. Government deal with coronavirus with sheer determination, he concluded.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar took notice of murder of 10-year-old child after molestation in area of Sargodha and sought a report from RPO Sargodha. He directed him to arrest the accused involved in murdering a child at the earliest. He directed justice should be provided to the heirs of the deceased child at any cost. He extended heartfelt sympathies with the bereaved family members and said that ensuring them justice is the state’s responsibility which will be fulfilled at any cost.
