ISLAMABAD, APR 13 – Of the total coronavirus cases in the country, 52% are locally transmitted, Special Assistant to the PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said Monday.

We need to increase our testing capacity to control the local transmission of the virus, he said while addressing a press conference with Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar in Islamabad.

The country’s top health official said the government was launching a pilot project in four districts to trace, test and isolate infected patients. We had tested people who came from abroad or the ones we suspect carrying virus, he added.

The country is under a lockdown for the past couple of months. Umar said the government will decide whether to ease lockdown restrictions or keep them in the meeting of the National Coordination Committee.

The minister said businessmen across the country have asked the government to allow them to resume their operations.

He, however, said that the business owners will have to take responsibility for the health of their workers if the government takes a decision to let them resume their businesses.

Umar said district administrations across the country and health workers were working 24 hours a day to protect people from the virus and the nation should be thankful to them for their hard work.

He said that restrictions and lockdowns are imposed to control the spread of the virus. But, Umar added, the people also need to minimise their interaction with each other to contain the spread of the virus.