ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning Asad Umar on Wednesday said the government was utilizing all available resources to increase the testing capacity for coronavirus from 50,000 to 100,000 per day by next month.

“The challenge of coronavirus pandemic could be addressed by adopting the Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) and increasing testing capacity for the disease,” he said while talking to a local news channel.

To a question about rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country, Asad Umar said a complete lockdown policy could not be effective for poor economy.

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He said the daily wage workers and labor community would suffer if we chose the lockdown policy.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has decided to devise a strategy to take maximum benefit from the services of Tiger Force.

The decision was taken at a meeting jointly chaired by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar in Lahore.

The meeting further decided to devise a strategy for next two months regarding price control, plantation, supply of commodities at Utility Stores, possible flooding and implementation of the SOPs to prevent spread of coronavirus.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other concerned authorities attended the meeting via video link.