77 new corona cases reported

LAHORE : Seventy-seven new Covid-19 positive cases have been confirmed in Punjab during the last 24 hours, according to a report issued by Primary and Secondary Healthcare (P&SH) Department here on Saturday.

The toll of fatalities stayed at 2,229 in Punjab, while confirmed cases of novel coronavirus reached 98,941 in the province.

Out of a total of 98,941 infections in Punjab, as many as 96,161 citizens contracted the virus through local transmission. The remaining 2,780 COVID19 infections were confirmed among members of Tableeghi Jamaat, Zaireen returning from Iran and prisoners.

As per the spokesperson of Corona Monitoring Room at Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, as many as 12,735 tests have been conducted in the last 24 hours, which raised the total number of tests to 1,208,294 in the province.

After 2,229 fatalities and recovery of a total of 95,295 patients, as many as 1,417 active cases still remain, who are either isolated at homes or under treatment at different quarantine centres and health facilities.

Food outlets sealed for rules violation: Punjab Food Authority (PFA) continued its operation against bakeries and milk shops here on Saturday and sealed many outlets for PFA rules violation.

Officials said the teams checked bakeries and found substandard food and unhygienic conditions. They said two bakeries were sealed and 17 were fined.

Bashir Bakery Production Unit on Bund Road was sealed for selling stale cakes having insects inside. The production unit of a well known bakery was checked and action was taken against it for using open harmful dyes and presence of insects. Over 100 kg cakes, 50 kg unhealthy bakery items and biscuits were destroyed. Bashir Malik Shop was sealed for selling adulterated milk in Rana Town. Rehman Sher vendor was sealed in Gulshan-e-Ravi for selling substandard milk.

State land reclaimed: The district administration launched a grand operation against encroachments and retrieved government land worth millions of rupees here on Saturday.

Officials said the retrieved land was 7-kanal and 7-marla and total value of the land was 14 crore 89 lakh rupees. They said the operation was carried out in 16 different places of Harbanspura including Rani Pind, Maiden Town and Ali Town and others. During the operation all those who resisted were arrested.

Officials said the operation began at 6 am and lasted for seven hours. The operation team was led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Abdul Rauf Mehr. RO Munir and Patwari Ijaz Munir supervised the operation under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner Shalimar Mehdi Malov. Police, revenue and MCL officials participated in the operation while heavy machinery was used in the operation.