LAHORE: The Punjab government imposed a dengue emergency in the province in view of the rising case of the viral infection, which is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes.

“Next 10 days are extremely important for controlling the dengue outbreak,” Kamran Ali Afzal, the provincial chief secretary, said during a meeting at the civil secretariat. “If SOPs are not followed, dengue can turn into an epidemic.”

At least two people have so far died because of the virus this year, the health department said. Around 23 new cases were reported over the last 24 hours, bringing the toll to 560.

Ninety-six dengue patients were being treated at the hospital.

Decisions to stem dengue spread

• Ban on fountains and outdoor swimming pools
• Strict action including arrest and registration of cases against people violating SOPs
• Inspection of under-construction buildings as they are hot spots for breeding of mosquitos

The chief secretary directed the deputy commissioner to review the dengue situation on a daily basis. He appealed to people to support the provincial government in efforts to contain the virus spread.

“Negligence of anyone can lead to failure of joint efforts against dengue,” the chief secretary said and expressed concerns over the increased number of cases reported this year as compared to last year.

High-risk districts

• Lahore
• Rawalpindi
• Faisalabad

The provincial capital has so far reported 303 dengue cases. As many as 21,288 teams were conducting surveillance of the areas.