LAHORE: The Punjab health department has put a ban on entering to the sacrificial animal markets of the province without mask due to the recent surge in the number of Covid-19 cases and in the wake of lumpy skin disease in animals.

Issuing new guidelines, the health department declared the use of mask mandatory for every visitor besides the people running the business of sacrificial animals and directed the health and the district government staff to ensure implementation on the instructions in letter and spirit.

Separately, the department also issued a new advisory for the citizens in the wake of the Eid gatherings and suggested them to use masks, keep distance and take other precautionary measures while giving a warning that the Covid may spread fast in Eid days.

The health authorities particularly declared Lahore at risk of spreading the Covid virus saying its positivity ratio in the provincial capital has increased to 3.6.

The data said 113 more people tested positive for the virus during the last 24 hours across the province.

Of them 82 were reported in Lahore, 13 in Faisalabad, nine in Rawalpindi while others were recorded in Sargodha, Multan, Sialkot, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Khanewal etc.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2022