PESHAWAR: An overwhelming majority of people in the provincial capital and the rest of the province kept violating the standard operating procedures (SOPs) about social distancing during the Eidul Fitr holidays and this may cause an increase in the Covid-19 cases in coming days.
A large number of people were seen thronging the bazaars in the last days of Ramazan to do shopping for Eid. During the Eid days, people received guests as usual without bothering to follow the SOPs. “Ensuring social distancing in Peshawar and elsewhere in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is next to impossible. People laugh at the ones wearing a facemask, using a hand sanitiser or trying to maintain a safe distance. People received guests on Eid like the past,” a local said.
He added that hundreds attended the funerals of the people who died during Eid days. “Only a few people were seen wearing facemasks or avoiding handshakes while the rest did not bother to practice social distancing at all,” he commented. “My family members and I tried to avoid handshakes with the people who came to offer condolences. But everyone expected us to greet them with handshakes so we had to give in,” said one Farhad Khan whose uncle had died on Eid day.
With 175 new cases confirmed in the last 24 hours, the number of positive cases in KP reached 8,080 till Monday. Ten more lives were lost in 24 hours, including five in Peshawar, two in Malakand, one each in Swat, Bajaur and Khyber taking the total to 408. A total of 2,529 patients have recovered so far.
The number of positive patients was 3,011 in Peshawar. At least 235 people have lost life due to the virus in the city district. The Covid-19 pandemic has continued to fuel conspiracy theories. People believe that things will not work unless prayers leaders of around 30,000 mosques in KP were asked to help convince people to take care of themselves and their loved ones.
They said very few people were following SOPs but they will not remain safe if the majority of the people keep violating it. “Awareness through prayers leaders, ex-local government members, incumbent lawmakers, teachers and whoever has a say is a must. The government needs to do something to counter the conspiracy theories about the virus that make people avoid social distancing,” a local said.
More people from different government departments who remained in contact with Covid-19 patients tested positive during the three-day Eid festival. They included Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz. He has been quarantined.
An official of the Special Branch of the police said their staff member Mumtaz, who was the beat officer at Landikotal, has also tested positive for coronavirus. He has been quarantined at his home. “He was performing duty at the frontline regarding coronavirus reporting and was continuously visiting quarantine centres for collecting information and looking into other related issues,” said DIG Special Branch Akhtar Hayat Gandapur.
A total of 46 policemen have so far been tested positive for Covid-19 in KP. “Irshad Khan of Rescue 1123 who had shifted 56 corona patients from Manga village to the quarantine facility in a single night has tested positive for Covid-19. Overall he had shifted 80 Covid-19 patients to hospitals,” an official of the Rescue 1122 said.
“I visited Ghazi and Topi during Eid and found people totally averse to precautions recommended for the prevention of Covid-19. No masks, no gloves, no social distancing. I am afraid in next two weeks it may multiply manifold. The only solution is volunteerism, total lockdown or complete curfew,” Deputy Inspector General of Police Mohammad Ali Babakhel tweeted.