Zoos, wild parks closed until April 5
LAHORE: The Lahore Zoo, Lahore Zoo Safari and other government-run zoos and wildlife parks will be closed for public.
Punjab Wildlife Department Director General Tahir Hamdani told daily Dawn all these wildlife public places would remain closed until April 5. The decision had been made in the larger interest of the people in the wake of coronavirus threat, he added.
Earlier, in a meeting held at the Lahore Zoo in connection the safety measures to avoid coronavirus threat, a number of decisions were made.
Lahore Zoo Director Shafqat Ali told daily Dawn the meeting was headed by Minister for Fisheries and Wildlife Malik Asad Khokhar and was attended by Wildlife DG Tahir Hamdani and other senior wildlife officials.
The minister also formed a committee to look after the precautionary measures against virus. The committee is headed by Director Lahore Zoo Shafqat Ali, Deputy Director Abdul Shakoor Manj and District Wildlife Officer Tanveer Janjua. The committee suggested disinfection of animal cages and providing sanitisers at all the entry gates of all wildlife public facilities.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has handed over his helicopter to the health department to deal with coronavirus issues.
Former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif bought the helicopter with particular emphasis that it should be used as an air ambulance, in case of emergency.
Buzdar said the health department could use chief minister’s helicopter to deal with coronavirus issues by transporting medicine, equipment, medical kits as well as shifting patients to the designated hospitals.
The government would not show any laxity in the advance precautionary measures to deal with coronavirus, he said.
Buzdar also said adopting precautionary measures is the only effective way to cope with the coronavirus threat. “Nothing is important
than the health of the people,” he said.
He said the government had taken effective and timely measures to deal with the coronavirus.
The decision of closure of educational institutions, marriage halls and cinemas had been made in the public interest.
He appealed to the people to support the government’s initiatives to cope with coronavirus. He advised the people to adopt precautionary measures as part of their daily life by following the principle of “prevention is better than cure”.