The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Monday warned of imposing harsh restrictions as Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan said that there has been a small but noticeable increase in coronavirus cases in the country.
Taking to Twitter, the SAPM said that since last week, there has been a ‘definitive uptick in cases, percentage positivity, and other parameters’. He appealed to the masses to continue following government’s mandated coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs), including wearing masks, avoiding crowds and getting vaccinated – all of which can help prevent the spike in cases.
The NCOC has warned that a decision could be taken to impose harsh restrictions if standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent the spread of the coronavirus are not followed. In a meeting, the forum expressed grave concern over the violation of SOPs, observing that safety guidelines are being violated in various places, including restaurants, indoor gyms, marriage halls, transport, markets and tourist spots.
A statement issued after the meeting said the NCOC discussed a strict mechanism to enforce SOPs as well as steps being taken to accelerate the pace of vaccination. The portal to verify Covid-19 vaccinations has been launched and the number of centres where Moderna Covid-19 vaccine is being administered has been increased to 59, the statement added.
It is pertinent to mention that on Monday, Pakistan recorded the highest positivity ratio of 3.01% since June 16. As many as 1,347 new cases of novel coronavirus were reported across country on Monday, marking the fifth consecutive day of 1,000+ daily new cases.
Another 19 people lost their lives to Covid-19 over this period, as per data from the NCOC issued on Monday. The total number of active cases in the country has crossed the 33,000 cases mark and currently stands at 33,299, while the country’s total recoveries have increased to 907,934.
Most of the deaths occurred in Sindh, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Out of the total 19 deaths, 11 died during treatment on ventilators. There are 1,894 Covid-infected patients under treatment in critical condition and 19 of them were admitted to various Covid-dedicated healthcare facilities of the country on Monday. The maximum ventilators are occupied in four major cities, including Islamabad 16 percent, Lahore 16 percent, Bahawalpur 16 percent and Multan 18 percent. The maximum oxygen beds were also occupied in four major cities of Gilgit 91 percent, Swabi 21 percent, Karachi 27 percent and Muzaffarabad 22 percent. Around 198 ventilators are occupied elsewhere in the country while no Covid-affected person is on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Balochistan, and Gilgit Baltistan (GB).
Some 45,245 tests were conducted across the country on Sunday, including 16,516 in Sindh, 15,247 in Punjab, 10,225 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 1,771 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 672 in Balochistan, 293 in GB, and 521 in AJK.
Around 907,934 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan making it a significant count with over 90 percent recovery ratio of the affected patients.
A total of 963,660 cases have been detected so far in the country since the pandemic broke out in the country last year and 22,427 people have died from the virus since then. According to a province-wise breakdown, the total cases reported in Sindh so far are 340,902, in Punjab 346,852, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 138,533, in Islamabad Capital Territory 82,969, in Balochistan 27,419, in Gilgit-Baltistan 6,427 and in Azad Jammu and Kashmir 20,558.
