PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded the most coronavirus (Covid-19) deaths in a single day on Friday as the virus claimed 15 more lives in the province taking the tally to 161, highest in the country.

Of the fresh fatalities, 10 were reported in Peshawar, two in Nowshera and one each in Swat, Battagram and Kohat districts.

The Covid-19 has so far killed 96 people in the provincial capital.

The record single-day Covid-19 death toll prompted the provincial government to go for the stricter enforcement of lockdown and social distancing rules.

The decision about it was made during a meeting of the Covid-19 Task Force.

Chief Minister Mahmood Khan chaired the meeting, where ministers TaimurKhanJhagra and Shaukat Yousafzai and adviser to the chief minister Ajmal Wazir, Peshawar Corps Commander Lt-General Nauman Mahmood, chief secretary Dr Kazim Niaz, provincial police chief Sanaullah Abbasiand other senior officials were in attendance.

The task force reviewed the enforcement and monitoring of thestandard operating procedures for businesses allowed to operateduring the lockdown.

Virus claims 15 more lives taking tally to 161

It decided that the traders, who were found to be violating the government’s guidelines on business operation, would be dealt with strictly, while their shops would be sealed.

A statement issued here also said the essential businesseswould be allowed to operate only when they fulfilled theconditionalities meant to ensure social distancing rules and adherence to SOPs.

The task force reviewed the increasing number of Covid-19 deaths and confirmed cases in the province and the implementation of lockdown and social distancing measures along with their negative impact on economic activities.

It agreed that astrategy to stem the virus transmission would be developed in consultation with provinces in the next meeting of the National Coordination Committee.

The chief minister said the government was striving toprotect people not only from thevirus but also from economic problems.

“All decisions being taken in the prevailing situation are meant for the safety of the people,”he said.

The chief minister said there had been a remarkable coordination and cooperation of the Army with theciviladministrationduring the public health crisis. He said hehoped that the situationwould be handledeffectively with the close coordination of all stakeholders.

Meanwhile, the daily Covid-19 report said 172 confirmed cases were recorded in the province during the last 24 hours, including 78 in Peshawar, where the tally of conformed patients reached 1,009.

The province has so far recorded 2,799 confirmed coronavirus cases.

According to the report, 690 patients have been recovered from the infection with 36 recoveries reported during the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation assured the government of supporting and enhancing its testing capacity to fight Covid-19.

The assurance was made during a meeting between health minister Taimur Khan Jhagra and WHO representative in Pakistan Dr Palitha Mahipala.

WHO head of the province Dr Saeed Akbar Khan and health secretary Imtiaz Ali Shah attending the meeting, which agreed that the world health agency wouldanalyse the province’s dataregarding the Covid-19 situation to make further intervention regarding its management.

The WHO representative said the organisation would providetrainingtoclinicians on management, hiring of one media person for communicationand helping put in place infection control measures inhospitalsto save health workers.

He added that the WHO had beenprovidingprotective equipment andvaccine transport mediato the department and would further support it in the fight against Covid-19.

Dr Palitha said it was better to have multiple testing sites than one distributed geographically in the province keeping the good quality.

“If we have goodsixlabsanddo around 3000 tests a daythat will be great,” he said.

The WHOalso promised toprovide two PCR machines tothe health departmentand biosafety cabinet for increasing the testingcapacityin the province.

Meanwhile, adviser to the chief minister on information Ajmal Wazir said 330 quarantine centres had been set up in the province with the capacity to accommodate 22,030 people.

He said 3,226 people had been quarantined in 106 such centres.

Mr Wazir told reporters that the government had approved a package of Rs7 million for frontline workers, who laid down life in the fight against coronavirus.

He said if the people adopted precautionary measures, the epidemic would be under control.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2020