Punjab Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department's Secretary Nabeel Awan on Friday warned that the situation of coronavirus is worsening in Punjab. The number of coronavirus patients in Punjab is increasing rapidly, he added.

According to the details, Awan said the number of patients in hospitals has doubled in the last four weeks, with over 8,000 patients admitted to hospitals in just the last few days. However, the provincial government is trying to increase the hospital bedding capacity to tackle the situation.

Awan said the Punjab health department had proposed a complete lockdown to the government, but the government decided not to go for it at this stage.

According to statistics shared by National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), the country's nerve center for unified efforts against coronavirus, Punjab has reported 2,711 new cases and 58 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, most new cases and deaths reported by any province.

As of 8th April, 70% of vents in Multan, 69% vents in Lahore, and 60% vents in Gujranwala allocated for COVID-19 patients have been occupied.

Punjab to procure 1m doses of COVID-19 vaccine:

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid on Wednesday said that the provincial government will soon be purchasing one million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The provincial authorities are waiting for the cabinet's approval of the procurement plan.

Dr Rashid made the announcement after chairing a meeting at the Civil Secretariat to review the status of vaccine procurement and preparation.

She further added that a technical advisory group has been constituted under the leadership of Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Special Secretary Babar Aman to buy coronavirus vaccines. The group will share its recommendations within two days.

The provincial health minister said the Punjab government is utilizing all resources to control the spread of coronavirus and protect the citizens. The inoculation of vaccine to the elderly has been a smooth process so far and the provincial government has a defined strategy to prevent the further spread of coronavirus, she added.