LAHORE: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has launched an extensive ‘Trace Track Test’ system to identify and get information about people, who have remained in contact with a confirmed coronavirus patient. It has, in the last week of March, referred 26 people to the health department for further screening.

The PDMA during March 23-30 contacted over 6,000 people through phones but only less than half (2,719) people responded to the authority. It says only 1,660 people responded, whole the phone of 301 people remained busy and 393 others’ phones were found “wrong numbers”. The authority says some 1,009 persons’ phone numbers were not available.

The Corona Crisis Management Cell (CCMC), Punjab, has reported the updated Covid-19 cases status explaining that there were 3,627 suspect cases out of 914 found to be positive. Of the confirmed coronavirus positive people, 11 people have died, while six recovered.

The CCMC reports that 78 high dependency units, including at least one in each district, have been set up besides 456 isolation rooms. It says as many as 164 ventilators were available.

With regard to the enforcement action taken by police during March 16-30, the CCMC has reported that 6,154 FIRs were lodged against 10,962 people on the charges of violation of section 144. As many as 4,739 persons were arrested.

Similarly, the police lodged 161 FIRs against 173 people on the charges of violation of the Anti-Hoarding Act. As many as 79 persons were arrested.

The updated status of pilgrims coming from Taftan border and quarantined at Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan and Faisalabad suggest that 1,727 pilgrims were quarantined and screened.

Of 249 pilgrims quarantined in Dera Ghazi Khan, 194 were tested coronavirus-positive, while the lab reports of two pilgrims not issued yet.

Of 1,253 pilgrims quarantined at Multan, 91 were positive. In Faisalabad, 225 pilgrims were screened, and five persons were tested coronavirus-positive.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2020