Coronavirus testing capacity increased to 6000:CM.

LAHORE -- Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that coronavirus testing capacity had been increased to conduct 6000 tests daily by establishing eight BSL-III laboratories in the province.

Addressing a press conference at CM office, the Chief Minister said that 'Smart Sampling' was being started from the six districts of the province initially including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Faisalabad.

Under the 'Smart Sampling', coronavirus tests will be conducted of the workers of media houses, officials of law enforcement agencies, offices of administrative officers, health workers, TB and HIV patients, pregnant women in the hospitals and the prisoners of jails. He said that sampling at a larger scale will help the government to review the spread of coronavirus in the community.

In the Phase-II, under the random sampling, samples would be collected in census block.There was no shortage of coronavirus testing kits, PPEs and beds in Punjab, he added.

He said the government was fully aware about the problems of labourers, therefore, the federal government was being recommended to open up the industries and business.

He said that Punjab government was presenting its recommendations to the federal government for relaxing the lock down, however, it would be decided in the meeting of the National Coordination Committee.

Usman Buzdar said that suggestion had been given to the federal government that construction-related industries including building and road sectors should be allowed to work.

Similarly, the recommendation had been presented for opening the feeding industry related to the export sector.

The request had been made to open power looms and all such factories, which had their own labour colonies inside their premises. It had also been recommended to open the iron and steel industry as well as the home appliances industry.

CM said that the recommendations had been submitted to the federal government for opening the markets in different days by dividing them into zones throughout the province. This decision would be taken with the consultation of district administration, traders' unions, chamber of commerce and industry and other stakeholders.

Usman Buzdar said that thousands of Pakistanis were coming back from abroad through different flights and they had been properly looked after in the hotels and other quarantine centres according to the SOPs. He said that people from other provinces coming from abroad will...