-Total reported cases over 86,000 across country as NCOC plans country-wide visits to check virus control measures
-KP reports biggest single-day spike
-Punjab Govt to seal markets over SOPs breach
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: A team of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) comprising experts will visit different parts of the country to assist the local administrations to fight COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday.
The experts’ team will be headed by Dr Faisal Sultan, the Prime Minister’s focal person on coronavirus, which will visit different parts of the country to review the administrative and other arrangements for fighting the pandemic.
Prior to the team’s visit, the government has tightened precautionary measures in view of the rise in the number of virus cases.
Local administrations have taken action over the violations of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) by sealing some industrial units, shops and imposing fines of violators. It emerged that 22 industrial units were sealed in the federal capital Islamabad, 13 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and 37 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
The coronavirus cases in Pakistan have passed China’s with a tally of 85,264 along with 82 fatalities in one day. The nationwide count of casualties has jumped to 1,770 on Thursday.
According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 4,688 persons have been tested positive for COVID-19 in 24 hours. Sindh remains the worst-hit province by the pandemic followed by Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Till now 32,910 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 31,104 in Punjab, 11,373 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5,224 in Balochistan, 3,544 in Islamabad, 824 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 285 in Azad Kashmir.
Furthermore, 607 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab, 555 in Sindh, 500 in KP, 51 in Balochistan, 38 in Islamabad and 12 in GB. Patients are under treatment at quarantine centers of 462 hospitals where 7,295 beds are available. Pakistan has so far conducted 615,511 coronavirus tests and 20,167 in last 24 hours. 30,128 coronavirus patients have recovered in the country whereas many are in critical condition.
The federal government on Thursday decided to shut all big markets across the country which violate standard operating procedures (SOPs) to counter the coronavirus pandemic.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill tweeted, “Under the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) decisions, several big markets across Pakistan will be closed today over violation of lockdown SOPs.
“Operation in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been initiated. We must follow SOPs in any case.”
Punjab Chief Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik briefed the NCOC and stressed that irresponsibility is causing deaths. The epidemic can be controlled only by following SOPs, he said. “Big markets in Punjab will be shut in the light of the NCOC decisions. Industrial areas, markets and transport will be bound to follow rules and fines will be imposed over violations.” Jawad Rafique Malik also chaired an emergency meeting at Camp Office in which it was decided to strictly implement SOPs concerning COVID-19. He and said no relaxation will be given to offenders from now onwards and instructed all police officers to remain on patrol.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday banned entry in government offices without masks to counter the coronavirus pandemic. All departments have been directed by the provincial regime to put up banners of ‘no mask, no entry’ at offices. The Punjab government has also made mask mandatory at government offices and issued a notification in this regard.
Likewise, the Sindh government has made the use of mask, liquid hand wash and sanitizer mandatory at offices while public entry is banned.
People have been advised to contact government offices through online portal or email. Only one-fourth of employees will work at offices and action will be taken if violation is committed.
More 12 doctors and seven nurses have tested positive for the coronavirus at the Children Hospital Lahore, bringing the tally to 47.
As per details, the surgical operation theater of the hospital has been sealed after a number of doctors and paramedics tested positive for the COVID-19. Associate Professor of Services Hospital Lahore for Anesthesia lost his life battling the novel coronavirus on Thursday.
According to the medical superintendent (MS), Hafiz Maqsood was hospitalized for the treatment after contracting the virus. It is worth mentioning here that so far 12 doctors and two nurses have succumbed to COVID-19 in Punjab.
The country has witnessed a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections among health workers as 117 more medics detected with the virus during the last 24 hours.
After the detection of new cases of COVID-19 among doctors and paramedical staff, the number of infections reached 2,561 across Pakistan, whereas, 25 medics have lost their lives due to the virus so far.
The report released by the Ministry of National Health and Emergency Service said that 78 doctors contracted virus, taking the tally to 1,510, whereas, 352 nurses detected with COVID-19.
Chief Secretary Punjab Jawad Rafique Malik has decided to seal several bigger markets of the province over negligence of the designed SOPs in the wake of coronaviurs, sources said on Thursday.
While briefing the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the chief secretary said that reports are emerging that several markets of the province are not implementing the SOPs. Sources further said that action in Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi will start within few hours. It was reported on Wednesday that the federal government was considering tightening smart lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19.
A high-level meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad, had decided that provincial governments will play a pro-active role to create awareness among people about the implementation of SOPs to protect them from the virus.
Earlier, Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz had said that the intensity of coronavirus in the country is witnessing an increase as number of cases and death toll rises. “Government has reviewed the situation on daily basis and lifted restrictions on movement in order to minimize its negative impact on lower segment of the society,” he had said while addressing a presser.
