PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has appealed to the people to stay at their homes during the upcoming Eidul Fitr to avoid the spread of coronavirus.

Adviser to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Information and Public Relations Ajmal Khan Wazir said while talking to media persons in Peshawar on Thursday that Chief Minister Mehmood Khan has announced that Eid would be celebrated with simplicity this year and all kinds of unnecessary activities will be avoided. The adviser said precautionary measures must be strictly followed on occasion of Eid. Ajmal Wazir urged the well off people to help needy and poor people on the occasion of Eid.

The adviser said that although the death toll from COVID-19 in KP is highest, but patients’ recovery rate was also the highest in KP as compared to other provinces. He said the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients in KP is 31 percent.

Mr Wazir said there are 200 isolation wards in the province with a capacity of 5,598 beds and about 359 quarantine centres in KP. He said that more than 550 ventilators have been reserved for coronavirus patients.

The adviser said that the decision to open Torkham border round the clock six days a week for trucks has been taken for improvement of bilateral trade with Afghanistan and to facilitates the people and businessmen. He said the Pak-Afghan trade witnessed a tremendous increase with the opening of the border during the last few days. He said that Pakistanis returning home from Afghanistan through Torkham border were being quarantined in Khyber tribal district. Several people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in the quarantine centre in Khyber.

With further ease in lockdown in KP during Eid days, the lockdown practically doesn’t exist in the province now. However, the authorities are continuously urging the people to observe the principles of social distancing as it is the only way to avoid the spread of the virus. The coronavirus cases are rapidly increasing in KP mainly due to lack of proper care by the people, particularly in rural areas. There are fears of further spread of the virus if precaution was not taken during Eid religious and social gatherings.