The government of the Pakistani province of Punjab is considering different measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, including a complete lockdown in the capital of Lahore, which is currently witnessing the worst surge in infections, Firdous Ashiq Awan, the prime minister's adviser on information, said on Monday.

According to the latest government data, the province has confirmed 2,309 new cases over the past day, with 1,478 of them reported in Lahore. Meanwhile, the Lahore administration has filed 96 cases over violations of government restrictions.

"A decision will be taken today whether to impose a complete lockdown or not.
Punjab CM [Chief Minister] Usman Buzdar would make an announcement," the official said, as cited by the Geo TV broadcaster, adding that the situation is worsening in the capital, as people ignore the restrictions currently in place.

The province is currently in the grip of the third wave of the pandemic, with the UK variant of the virus dominating most cases.

Over the weekend, Punjab registered the highest-ever daily tally of 2,823 cases, beating the previous record high of 2,705 confirmed in July. So far, the number of those infected stands at 215,227.

(IBNS)