ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Coordination Centre (NCOC) has identified 20 cities across Pakistan for having potential COVID-19 hotspots under a strategy termed as ‘testing, tracing and quarantining’ (TTQ).
According to a press release issued by the federal government today (Monday), the decision was taken in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s directives to contain the coronavirus outbreak through a smart lockdown.
The cites which have been identified by the NCOC for necessary restrictive measures for the coronavirus containment are Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Swat, Hyderabad, Sukkar, Sialkot, Gujarat, Ghotki, Larkana, Khairpur, Dera Ghazi Khan Malakand and Mardan.
The press release said, “In Islamabad, the authorities have already sealed G-9/2 and G-9/3 for having over 300 cases. While, I-8, I-10, Ghauri Town, Bharakhau, G6, and G7 are being monitored.”
The TTQ strategy is aimed at identifying disease spread, focused clusters/hotspots to enable targeted lockdowns and need-driven resource optimisation at all levels.
“The TTQ strategy has been formulated to keep the spread of the disease in check while different sectors open up,” the press release stated.
It further said, “It involves ramping up testing, rapidly tracing the contacts of confirmed positive cases, and effective quarantining of positive and suspected cases.”
Moreover, in today’s meeting, the NCOC was briefed in detail about the operationalisation of additional oxygenated beds and vents including procurement of this critical healthcare equipment by NDMA as announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The statement said, “A total of 2150 additional oxygenated beds will be functional by End July to meet the additional requirement,” adding, “1000 oxygenated beds will be functional by end June and another 1150 oxygenated beds by end July.”
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