Coronavirus: Usman Buzdar, Mahmood Khan restrict activities after CM House employees test positive

• Punjab CM House spokesperson says that CM Usman Buzdar will only hold important meetings and visits at his office.
• Kamran Bangash says CM Mahmood Khan will hold meetings via video link.
• Punjab and KP are the epicentre of the third wave of coronavirus.

LAHORE/PESHAWAR: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan restricted their activities after multiple employees of the Chief Minister House in both Lahore and Peshawar tested positive for coronavirus.

Sources within the Punjab CM house said that two employees had contracted coronavirus and lost their lives a few days ago. They said that the deceased included a protocol officer and a waiter.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that at least 16 officials of the CM House have tested positive for coronavirus.

Read more: Pakistan reports 4,974 COVID-19 cases, highest single-day toll since June 20

A spokesperson of Punjab CM House said that CM Buzdar will only hold important meetings and visits at his office. He added that there was a ban imposed on normal visits due to coronavirus.

Six employees of KP CM House test positive

Separately, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Kamran Bangash confirmed that six employees of the KP CM House have tested positive for coronavirus.

Bangash said that the CM’s meetings with elected officials have been reduced, adding that government meetings will be held via video link.

Punjab and KP have been the epicentre of the third wave of coronavirus that has hit Pakistan. 

Health experts have expressed their concerns over the third wave of coronavirus which is expected to be more lethal and contagious than the previous ones.

Read more: Deadly coronavirus wave kills 100 in Pakistan for first time in over three months

To curb the virus spread, the National Command and Operation Centre has announced a complete ban on holding wedding functions — both indoor and outdoor — starting April 5, in areas that have a three-day rolling average of an 8% positivity ratio.

The NCOC had said that the government is also mulling the prospects of more restrictions on inter-provincial travelling.