HARIPUR: Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Nasir has said that district administration has completed all arrangements required for combating the situation arising out of coronavirus pandemic.

Talking to journalists at his office here on Thursday, he said that rapid response teams of health department were busy in screening and sample collection of suspects while more than 13 quarantine centres were ready to accommodate 1,000 patients.

The deputy commissioner said that so far four confirmed and 42 suspected cases of coronavirus were reported in the district. All the infected persons were home quarantined as their condition was stable.

He said that government hospitals in the district had six ventilators while 14 more were arranged with the help of private hospitals. However, he said that there was not a single patient, who needed to be put on ventilator, in the district.

The official said that 2,354 expatriates entered the district before the government slapped ban on international flights. He said that their lists were shared a bit late with the district administration but health department and district administration traced and screened 2,100 of them while the remaining were being approached.

The deputy commissioner feared that cases would be increased if people continued to violate the rule of social distancing. He said that the daily quota of 20 kilograms bag of flour to sale points was increased to 6,600 from 5,400.

He said that sugar, pulses, ghee and cooking oil were available in abundance at the utility stores. He said that district administration could not regularise the rates of flour as the commodity was imported from Punjab and the rates was fixed by Punjab government.

Meanwhile, police arrested 23 persons on charges of making, selling and flying kites here on Thursday.

Following two incidents that claimed life of two boys, who fell during kite flying, the district administration imposed ban on kit making, selling and flying for 30 days under Section 144 of CrPc.

Police seized thousands of kites and thread and arrested 23 persons from different parts of the district for violating the ban.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2020