PESHAWAR: Adviser to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister Ajmal Wazir on Wednesday said that the provincial government will follow Centre’s lead and implement decisions taken by the National Coordination Committee (NCC) to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.
Addressing his daily press briefing here in the provincial capital, Wazir said the provincial government would align with the Centre as it had to fight not one but two front, including coronavirus and poverty.
“In the past, the policies were devised only for the elite. It was Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan who always considered the underprivileged class and focused on devising policies for the poor and needy,” he said.
“The country was already suffering from an economic crisis and the available resources did not allow a complete lockdown since many people live below the poverty line. The prime minister is concerned about those living below the poverty line and that is why policies are being framed focused on the underprivileged,” the adviser stated, adding that the entire government machinery headed by KP Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan was on the frontline against coronavirus.
The adviser said some 60,000 people arrived KP during the last six months including people from Iran, Afghanistan and other Gulf countries, adding people were traced and checked for COVID-19 besides those arriving recently were quarantined.
“People who developed symptoms were isolated and those who did not have symptoms were sent to their homes,” he said.
All this was done when only 200 persons could be tested for coronavirus, however, the capacity was increased almost to 1,500 and would be enhanced to 2,000 in the near future.
Updating the media on the latest situation, the adviser said that 211 new cases were confirmed in the province in the last 24 hours.
The total number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in KP is now 3,499 whereas nine deaths were recorded in the province in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 194.
Similarly, 19 coronavirus patients recovered in KP during the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of patients who defeated corona in the province to 875.
On Tuesday, the federal cabinet had approved easing lockdown restrictions in the country gradually after May 9.
Wazir also urged people to follow the SOPs set by the government and “not to turn into a carrier” of the novel coronavirus by flouting the standard operating procedures set by the government and going out unnecessarily.
“Your immunity system may be strong, but there are children and old people in our homes. If you go out without reason, you will bring this virus in your house with you,” he had said.
