Yasmin warns against fourth wave of Covid-19

LAHORE: “Lahore Wears Mask” campaign and project was launched by Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, Commissioner Muhammad Usman, Post Master General Punjab Imran Raza and DC Lahore at GPO’s historical building here on Wednesday.

Almost 15 million masks will be sent through Pakistan Post Services to homes, mosques and markets in the City. It is the biggest project of mask distribution with zero financial burden on the government budget, said commissioner Lahore, adding the project will be completed with the collaboration of LUMS, Stanford University, Yale University, Innovation for Poverty Action.

He said under the project, free masks will be delivered with the help of Pakistan Post Services to the selected homes, mosques and markets based on a survey conducted. Survey was conducted to evaluate the low mask wearing areas and the low income homes and addresses were taken from Lesco.

Free masks will be delivered by Pakistan Post Service without any charges with letter-cum message from Commissioner Lahore Office about how to avoid the predicted fourth wave of COVID-19 by wearing masks.

Health Minster Dr Yasmin Rashid said fourth Covid wave was knocking at the doors of countries and that was the critical hour to launch such grand effort to get cooperation of citizens for wearing mask. She said more than 8.4 million population of Punjab had been vaccinated, and more than 697 vaccination centres were working in Punjab.

Commissioner Muhammad Usman said "Lahore Wears Mask" was not a just campaign or project but national cause. He said Pakistan had faced three waves of Covid-19, lost thousands of its citizens, economy suffered and now fourth wave was in the offing.

He said to get vaccinated and wear mask to avoid fourth wave, to avoid lock down and to avoid business stoppage. H said for free delivery of masks by Pakistan Post Service, the city was distributed in 16 clusters on the basis of survey. He said centres would be mentioned later on for receiving free masks after the completion of first phase of delivery.