-NCOC allows walk-in vaccination for adults
-More than 211,000 vaccinated across Pakistan in single day
-Age restriction lifted for abroad travelers
-COVID claims 131 lives, infects 4,207 more people
From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: The Sindh government on Thursday decided to maintain the Covid-19 restrictions in place due to the rise in the number of coronavirus cases witnessed after Eidul Fitr.
The decision was taken in a meeting of the provincial task force on Covid-19, presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and attended by provincial ministers, chief secretary, law enforcers and representatives from the World Health Organisation.
The Sindh government’s decision comes a day after the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) announced the lifting of a number of restrictions imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
This included the staggered reopening of educational institutions in districts where the positivity rate was less than 5pc and resumption of outdoor dining.
On Thursday, the Sindh chief minister expressed alarm at the sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in the province. “A record 20,421 coronavirus tests were conducted Wednesday out of which 9,000 were in Karachi,” he said, adding that 2,076 cases had been confirmed positive, which meant a positivity rate of 10.2 per cent. He added that the positivity rate for Karachi stood at 16.82pc. Explaining the worsening situation, the chief minister said that 1,232 cases had been recorded in the province on May 13. “After Eid on May 19, there were 2,076 cases which is a positivity of 10.2pc.”
“It is clear from this that cases are rising in Sindh,” he said, adding that “we are finding it difficult to relax restrictions in the province.”
Meanwhile, the Sindh health department tweeted that “the rise in Covid positive cases is of great concern.” It added that Karachi was in a “critical situation” and warned that unless standard operating procedures were followed, “strict administrative action will be taken to control the increase in infection rates.” During the meeting, the other members and experts in the task force advised the chief minister to continue the current restrictions in place. They further advised him to take even stricter decisions if required.
It was also decided to hold another session of the task force on Saturday where the situation would be reviewed and if there was an improvement in the incidence of cases, then restrictions would be relaxed. If the cases did not seem to be on the decline, however, further restrictions would be imposed. The chief minister asked me
mbers of the task force to present their recommendations for further measures after reviewing the situation.
In another tweet posted on Thursday NCOC said more than 211,000 vaccine doses administered across Pakistan on Wednesday. People intending to travel abroad for employment or higher studies will no longer have to wait their turn for Covid-19 vaccine as the government has decided to lift age restriction for them.
According to details people wishing to travel abroad can now get vaccinated against the coronavirus at any vaccination centre in the country from May 21 (today). They will have to show their work permit, Iqama, and student visa to be eligible to get inoculated.
They said the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has given approval in this regard. The decision to lift the age restriction was made on requests of people who were unable to travel to different countries sans Covid-19 vaccination. COVID deaths, cases: The national tally on Thursday of total active COVID-19 cases recorded 66,282 with 4,207 more people tested positive for the deadly virus and 4,171 people recovered from the disease during the last 24 hours.
One hundred and thirty-one corona patients have died during past 24 hours, 110 of whom were under treatment in hospital and 21 out of the hospital in their respective quarantines or homes, according to the latest update issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).
