Govt to use technology to trace cases, identify virus hotspots: Asad Umar.

ISLAMABAD -- The government is taking measures to control the spread of the virus as we ease lockdown measures, said Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar on Sunday.

Briefing the media on measures underway, the minister said that virus hotspots were being identified through data collection and latest technology.

'We need to ensure that the policies we are making can be implemented on the ground as well,' said Umar.

The minister added that testing, tracking and quarantining is in place, but we have to zoom in on areas where the virus has spread. 'With the help of data which has been collected thus far, the government will implement a 'smart lockdown' to help curb the spread of the coronavirus,' he said.

The measures were being taken or are in the process based on data analysed by the National Command and Operation Centre, he stated.

While reiterating that the government could not impose an indefinite lockdown, as that would have a devastating impact on low-income groups, he stressed that not all preventative measures were being lifted.

In a televised broadcast, he displayed a map indicating virus hotspots. Giving the example of Lahore, he said that the virus appears to be concentrated in Thokkar Niaz Beg. He used the map to show how such hotspots could be identified to specify localities.

He further claimed that Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar were among the cities where the virus seemed to be spreading most.

Explaining how the smart lockdown will work, the minister stated that health teams on ground will visit such areas and evaluate which areas need to be cordoned off - whether streets, union councils, or the entire locality.

'As we move forward, we will keep fine tuning the process,' he added.

He further added that as the virus continues to spread each passing day, and while we hope for the cases to not increase too rapidly, the...