LAHORE: The Punjab government cancelled on Sunday the`festival of lights’ in connection with the annual Urs celebrations of Shah Hussain, better known as Madhu Lal Hussain, and closed shrine of the saint to devotees.

In an effort to check the possible spread on coronavirus, the government has started taking action against those violating orders regarding the ban on assembly of four or more people.

The Cineplex in the Packages Mall and 23 marriage halls in various city areas were sealed for holding events in violation of Section-144. However, some other public places like parks have not been closed. A spokesperson of the Parks and Horticulture Authority said they were rather sensitising people visiting parks how to avoid the virus.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar visited the Punjab Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) to personally see arrangements at the 30-bed corona care centre there. He said capacity of the facility could be enhanced to 500 beds if required. The Lahore airport has been sprayed with disinfectants using what authorities say VIROS technology, which kills germs within five minutes.

Dr Saleem Cheema, the medical superintendent of Services Hospital, was replaced with Dr Iftikhar for failing to complete arrangements for Covid-19 patients at the facility.

Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid was quoted by a private TV channel as saying that isolation wards had already been established at all state-run health facilities and that the first confirmed patient too was being kept in isolation ward at the Mayo Hospital.

She has urged the people suspected of afflicted with the virus to share their travel history with the authorities.

A spokesperson for the Health Department says at least 5,000 people were screened for COVID-19 during the two weeks and of them 12 people were being monitored in special isolation wards.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2020