-Claims 135 more lives across country
By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reported 135 deaths from coronavirus on Wednesday, making it the country’s highest death toll since June 29 last year. The latest statistics of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) showed the COVID-19 has claimed 135 more lives, taking the overall death toll to 15,754.
During the period, 4,681 fresh infections were reported from across the country.
During the period of a day, the total count of active cases was recorded at 75,034 and the positivity rate stood at 9.73 per cent.
The health facilities across the country conducted 48,092 coronavirus detection tests, taking the total number of COVID-19 tests to 10,878, 086 since the first case was reported. In order to provide more facilities to the citizens willing to get vaccinated against coronavirus, the National Command Operations Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday sought provinces input on the opening of COVID vaccination centres in two shifts.
Meanwhile, The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) issued on Wednesday new standard operating procedures (SOPs) to contain the spread of coronavirus during the holy month of Ramadan.
A special meeting of NCOC was chaired for this by Asad Umar on Tuesday. According to a declaration issued by the NCOC, the forum has decided to implement “broader lockdowns”, with stringent enforcement protocols where no mobility will be allowed except in emergency situations.
Saturdays and Sundays will be observed as closed days at the national level.
All indoor and outdoor activities, including social, cultural, political, sports, and other miscellaneous events, will be banned. “Outdoor dining will be allowed from iftar till midnight, example 11:59 pm, with strict SOPs, while takeaways will be allowed,” the notification read.
Cinemas, shrines, and amusement parks will remain closed. Amid the spread of the pandemic in the third wave, the inter-provincial transport will remain suspended for two days a week (Saturdays and Sundays) which will continue to be enforced till midnight April 25-26.
Market timings will be from sehri till 6 pm. For Taraweeh prayers, NCOC said that it should be organised in open spaces as far as possible. The forum called for civil administration at every tier to engage ulemas and community leaders for assistance in the enforcement of COVID-19 SOPs during Ramadan. Stringent protocols for tourism have been imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu Kashmir and tourist sites elsewhere.
Moreover, Punjab’s Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department has laid down a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus during Ramadan.
