QUETTA: The Balochistan government has asked the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to provide more ventilators as the number of coronavirus cases is rising fast in the province.

`At least 142 more ventilators are required in Balochistan, provincial government`s spokesman Liaquat Shahwani said, adding that measures such as social distancing and isolation should be enforced to contain coronavirus from spreading to other parts of the province.

Referring to some reports about fewer tests being conducted in the province, he said there was only one lab established in Fatima Jinnah Chest Hospital, Quetta, and efforts were being made to set up another in Bolan Medical College Hospital Complex.

More mobile labs would be purchased for increasing tests in the districts affected by coronavirus, he said.

Mr Shahwani said that coronavirus tests were being conducted through two PCR machines.

He said the health department had learned through random testing that the locally transmitted cases had increased.

`Our testing capacity is improving, so we are conducting more tests,` he added.

He said 70 isolation centers established in the province had a capacity to accommodate 700 patients.

The spokesman said there was a shortage of test kits, but the NDMA had resolved that problem by providing 43,000 kits.