Punjab decides not to set up animals' markets on Eidul Azha.

LAHORE -- In view of the health hazards due to COVID-19 situation, the Punjab government has decided not to allow setting up of sacrificial animals' markets in the cities on the eve of Eidul Azha this year. Decision to this effect was taken in a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar here on Tuesday.

The CM was briefed on the risks involved in allowing animals' markets ahead of the upcoming Eid. Consequently, the meeting decided against establishing the animals' markets within the city limits.

The Chief Minister directed that a comprehensive plan for Eid-ul-Azha should be prepared to regulate the sale of animals outside the city limits. Also, addressing the meeting, the CM expressed his satisfaction that daily testing capacity of Punjab has reached to 12 thousand while the total number of corona patients stood at 68,308. The meeting was told that as many as 19,580 patients had recovered and 3,498 were under treatment in different hospitals of the province. Health authorities also told the meeting that the number of confirmed patients had declined during the last three days while the number of high dependency units in the hospitals of the provincial metropolis had been increased from 671 to 1,228.

Briefing the participants about the situation of availability of beds in hospitals, the health officials further said that the number of oxygen-beds in Rawalpindi hospitals was being increased from 227 to 607 and 58 more beds were also being arranged for corona patients in Nishter Hospital Multan.

Now, the number of beds has increased to 202 in this hospital. Similarly, they added, 66 ventilators had been provided to Mayo Hospital Lahore, Nishter Hospital Multan, Urology Hospital Rawalpindi, Social Security Hospital Lahore and PKLI Lahore in collaboration with the federal government.

Three PCR machines have also been given to Jinnah Hospital Lahore, Quaid-e-Azam Medical College Bahawalpur and Sheikh Zaid Hospital Rahim Yar Khan, they said. The meeting was also told that services of 473 additional doctors, 674 nurses and 211 health professionals have been arranged. The heirs of employees of grades up to 16 will be given four million rupees who will die while performing corona duties. The heirs of 17 and above grade officers will be given eight million rupees under Shaheed Package. The meeting also approved the revision of SOPs for the burial of corona patients has been given and the family member could also give ghusal to the...