Punjab becomes first province to purchase gene sequencing machine

Officials have confirmed that the machine will begin operating by the end of next week, greatly aiding the fight against coronavirus by identifying the various variants of the virus.

Earlier, cabinet committee had approved funds approximating Rs. 5 core on the instructions of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

Before the purchase of the machine by Punjab, the federal government owned the only other gene sequencer.

The new purchase will help in determining which variant is causing mortality among patients while also aiding in data collection on fatality rate of the deadly virus.

So far, Punjab has reported 155,805 cases with 4,661 causalities.

In Punjab, Rawalpindi has 2.44 percent positivity ratio, Lahore has 5.46 percent, Faisalabad 3.83 percent, Multan 1.49 percent, Gujranwala 1.79 percent and Bahawalpur 5.34 per cent.

The Punjab government has implemented smart lockdown in Lahore, Gujranwala, Hafizabad and more areas of Gujarat in view of increasing cases of coronavirus.

Report by: Zulqurnain Rana