NCOC meeting reviews coronavirus situation after ease in lockdown

The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday reviewed the coronavirus situation in the country after the government eased the lockdown restrictions on May 9 given the economic impact on the country.

Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar who was presiding over the meeting, maintained that the lockdowns have been eased for the convenience of the public, but the risk of an outbreak remains high and implementation of safety measures must be ensured at any cost.

During the meeting, the provincial chief secretaries briefed the participants of the meeting on the progress made regarding the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS) in their respective provinces and territories.

The provincial representatives also informed NCOC that the markets have become crowded due to Eid-ul-Fitr, however, effective public awareness campaign regarding the prevention from the virus had been launched through every digital platform including radio, TV channels and social media.

Maintaining that the provinces should play their full role in ensuring the health and safety of the people by enforcing the implementation of SOPs, Umar directed the provincial secretaries to speed up the arrangements within three to four days in order to curb the spread of coronavirus when the Eid-ul-Fitr preparations would be in full swing in the country.

"It is the responsibility of the public to comply with the SOPs and not to risk the lives of their loved ones, community and society in general," the minister said, adding that taking up responsibility individually was the only way to prevent the health hazard standing head of us collectively.