Task Force takes stock of rising positive cases, deaths

PESHAWAR: The Provincial Task Force on Covid-19 here on Friday took stock of the latest coronavirus situation with a special focus on the increasing number of positive cases and deaths in the province.

The meeting of Provincial Task Force was held with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan in the chair, said a handout. Provincial ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Shaukat Yousafzai and Advisor to CM Ajmal Wazir, Corps Commander Peshawar Lt-General Nauman Mahmood, Chief Secretary Kazim Niaz, Provincial Police Chief Sanaullah Abbassi, administrative secretaries and other officials concerned attended the meeting.

The meeting reviewed the implementation of lockdown and social distancing measures and its effectiveness in containing the mass scale outbreak of the pandemic as well as its negative impacts on economic activities.

The forum discussed various options and proposals to devise an effective, safe and workable strategy for the upcoming days. It was decided that implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the shops already allowed to operate would be monitored strictly and in case of non-compliance, the shops would be sealed instead of imposing fines.

It was agreed that opening of these essential businesses would be conditional to the strict implementation of SoPs. The forum decided that strategy for the upcoming days would be devised in consultation with other provinces and federal government in the next meeting of National Coordination Committee.

However, a final decision would be taken keeping in view the peculiar ground realities of the province. The chief minister said the government was fighting on two fronts simultaneously; on one hand, people have to be protected from the coronavirus pandemic and on the other, they have to be guarded against hunger.

“All the decisions of the government being taken in the prevailing situation are meant for the safety of the general public”, the chief minister remarked and urged the public to extend full cooperation to the government in this regard. He said there had been a remarkable coordination and cooperation from the Pak-Army with the civil administration.

According to an official handout, the chief minister hoped the situation would be dealt with in an effective manner with the close coordination of all the stakeholders.