RAWALPINDI: Taking notice of eight cases of dengue virus, Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to allocate more resources in areas where dengue larvae were found in abundance.

Chairing the meeting, the commissioner said the coronavirus pandemic has still not ended and we have to face the challenge of dengue virus in the next few days hence the administration has to make an effort to avoid its spread.

Keeping in view the current spell of rainfall, he said dewatering must be ensured at the earliest to avoid larva breeding.

He ordered to cancel allotment of official residences where dengue larva is found. Eight confirmed dengue cases have been reported so far, out of which seven have recovered, he said, adding there are 14 Covid-19 patients in our hospitals and no death has been reported.

Commissioner told Dawn after the meeting that five teams have been formed to monitor whether or not educational institutions are equipped with SOPs for coronavirus and dengue virus. He said that each team would visit 10 public and private institutions on a daily basis.

He said that frequent visits to every district have been carried out, aimed at strengthening the monitoring mechanism and to expedite the momentum of work.

He said that polio exists in only two countries now and unfortunately Pakistan is the country with the highest number polio cases in the world. We need to opt for immediate steps in order to cope with this situation and make Pakistan a polio free state.

He directed to install checkposts on entry points of Punjab and ensure that every child inside vehicles entering the province is vaccinated as they could be a potential threat for even those who have already been vaccinated. Likewise, refusal cases should be minimised to none, in the upcoming campaign which will likely begin on Sept, 21 2020.

Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Anwarul Haq said markets were being visited to check prices of essential commodities.

He said that steps are being taken to initiate mega projects including Rawalpindi Ring Road and Leh Expressway, at the earliest.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2020