Chinese experts advise 28-day lockdown for Punjab

LAHORE: Chinese health experts have recommended Punjab’s virus lockdown be continued for at least 28 days to halt the spread of Covid-19, as the country struggles to find a balance between public health and salvaging an economy roiled by the coronavirus pandemic.

The suggestion came during a meeting of the Chinese doctors’ delegation and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar here on Sunday.

The provincial government had imposed a lockdown on March 23 for two weeks after a spike in cases, but restrictions were relaxed to ensure smooth supply of essential items.

While appreciating the steps taken by the provincial government to curb the spread of the virus, the experts told Buzdar that social distancing is the key to stop the spread of the virus and authorities should ensure lockdown for 28 days.

Punjab —now the hardest-hit province with nearly 1,400 cases at the time of this reporting — has been grappling with containing the spread of the virus. Nationwide, confirmed cases of Covid-19 leapt to 3,124. Two more died in the country on Sunday, taking the death toll to 45.

Debunking a belief that the virus does not survive in high temperatures, the doctors said there was no evidence that the virus would not spread in the summer. The experts, who earlier worked in China’s epicentre Wuhan, told Punjab officials to contain the virus as soon as possible.

They also recommended coronavirus patients should be treated at quarantine centres or at hospitals rather than being kept at home.

Meanwhile, 20,000 members of the Tablighi Jamaat have been quarantined across the country and the search continues for tens of thousands more who attended a gathering in Lahore last month, officials said on Sunday.

Authorities said they want to test or quarantine those who congregated at the Tablighi Jamaat event held between March 10-12 over fears they are now spreading Covid-19 across Pakistan and overseas.

More than 100,000 people went to the meeting, organisers had said. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, authorities have so far quarantined 5,300 Tablighis who attended the Lahore meeting. “Health officials are conducting tests for coronavirus and some of them have tested positive,” said Ajmal Wazir, a KP spokesperson, told AFP on Sunday.

Wazir added that thousands of Tablighis from his province were stranded in other regions because of the closure of major highways across the country.

About 7,000 have been quarantined in the central Punjab city Lahore, while in Sindh, up to 8,000 Tablighis have been quarantined, government officials said. Dozens more have been forced to self-isolate in Balochistan.

On Saturday, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah agreed to consider lifting the province-wide lockdown on industries in a meeting with industrialists. The industrialists proposed the opening of export-oriented industries.

Shah agreed that government revenues had depleted due to the lockdown of industries and customs. “Lockdown would continue till April 14, and if the masses observe this lockdown in letter and spirit, the government might be able to open up gradually,” he said.