Lahore: The Punjab government has formed a working group to assess the health and economic impacts of COVID-19, a news source reported. The group is expected to use this assessment to advise the provincial government on the ground impact of the ongoing pandemic.
The working group comprises public health specialists, statisticians, epidemiologists, applied economists, and public policy specialists, who will use data modelling and predictive analysis for smart test sampling and associated matters.
Provincial Minister of Finance Hashim Jawan Bakht — also the convener of the group — revealed that these experts belong to the London School of Economics, Yale Institute of Global Health, Universities of George Town and Washington, Centre of International Development Harvard, CERP, and Mahbub ul Haq Centre. He added that they would support the government on making evidence-based policies.
The minister stated that the working group would meet regularly. It would share the sampling design and predictive modelling with the Health Department. It would also give policy action recommendations to the Cabinet Committee on Prevention of Coronavirus Disease.
Bakht highlighted that the provincial government would work on an intelligent strategy for opening up some sectors, and that smart contact tracing would help identify the sectors that are safe to open. He added that this would be a careful approach in order to reduce the risk of infections, and to allow the reopening of various economic sectors with certain SOPs.
