Lahore to undergo 'complete lockdown' on Saturdays and Sundays

• Commissioner Lahore says markets, businesses to remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Petrol pumps, medical stores and vaccination centres to remain open on weekends.
• "I would request citizens to buy items of necessary use today," says Commissioner Lahore.

LAHORE: In a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus, authorities have decided to impose a "complete lockdown" in the city on Saturdays and Sundays. 

The announcement was made by the Commissioner Lahore Division Muhammad Usman on Friday, who said that part of the complete lockdown entailed that businesses and markets across the city will remain closed. 

The step is being taken to save lives as coronavirus cases continue to surge across the country and Punjab as well. 

The commissioner clarified that medical stores, petrol pumps and vaccination centres will remain open during the weekends. 

"I would request citizens to buy items of necessary use today," he said. 

Punjab cabinet proposes lockdown before Eid

The 43rd cabinet meeting held under Chief Minister Usman Buzdar at his office on Thursday was briefed on the prevailing corona situation, Ramazan package and wheat procurement drive.

The cabinet expressed its concern over the rising number of corona cases and death rate and showed its reservations over non-implementation of SOPs by the citizens. It decided to further strict restrictions in cities with a more positive ratio to save the lives of the citizens.

The provincial ministers presented a consensus proposal to enforce a complete lockdown before Eid in Lahore and other cities with more corona ratio. 

A special cabinet committee will finalise recommendations after reviewing proposal of complete lockdown to submit the same to NCOC. It was decided to increase the number of oxygen beds and ventilators on an emergent basis along with the adoption of beds to maintain the supply of oxygen. 

The proposal of discontinuing the supply of oxygen to industries using the oxygen was also brought under consideration. The meeting decided to increase the number of vaccination centres while the federal government will also be approached for the import of oxygen. 

The meeting discusses that the positive cases’ ratio is more than 8% in 23 districts and the number of patients has been tremendously increased in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and Gujranwala.