ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan told a press conference on Tuesday strict coronavirus restrictions were inevitable, given the rise in COVID-19 deaths and the positivity ratio across the country.
The second virus wave is hitting hard various countries, and Pakistan didn’t seem an exception. Dr Faisal said a few weeks ago, 400-500 cases were being reported across the country on a daily basis. The tally, he said, had shot up to 700-750 cases of the infection per day.
"The coronavirus death rate has increased in the country," he said, adding that the positivity ratio had surged to 2.5-2.75pc. Dr Faisal said the second wave had begun in the country as masses were not adhering to coronavirus precautions.
Now, Pakistan is entering a phase where we need to tighten coronavirus curbs, the PM's aide said, adding that an official plan would be formulated soon. "Our focus — tightening coronavirus restrictions — would be more on the cities and areas where the positivity ratio of the virus is high," Dr Faisal said.
The premier's aide said that authorities were mulling over several plans and recommendations to impose restrictions to stem the spread of the virus. "We urge local administrations to implement coronavirus SOPs [standard operating procedures]," he said and warned that the government would impose a fine on people who did not follow coronavirus SOPs in public places.
The special assistant said that business timings across the country may be reduced in light of the growing cases of the pandemic. He said that business timings that were in place during the pandemic may be restored again.
Dr Faisal said that the government was mulling over setting up a hotline so that the citizens could inform authorities when coronavirus SOPs were being violated.
"Restrictions are hard [on the people] and no government wishes to impose them," he said, adding that if people follow coronavirus safety measures, Pakistan could beat this wave as well.
"Further details will be disclosed after deliberations with all provinces," Dr Faisal added. Pakistan has recorded 329,375 coronavirus cases, 6,745 deaths, and 311,440 recoveries from the pandemic, according to official statistics.
The total active COVID-19 cases in the country were recorded 11,190 on Tuesday, as 773 more people tested positive for the deadly virus during the last 24 hours. Six corona patients, five of whom were under treatment in hospital, and one out of hospital, died on Tuesday, according to the latest update issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).
Around 311,440 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan making it a significant count with over 90 per cent recovery ratio of the affected patients.
Since the pandemic outbreak, a total of 329,375 cases were detected so far, including AJK 3,849, Balochistan 15,839, GB 4,191, ICT 19,181, KP 39,119, Punjab 103,082 and Sindh 144,114.
About 6,745 deaths were recorded in country since the eruption of the contagion, including 2,599 Sindh among one of them died out of hospital on Tuesday, 2,336 in Punjab one of them died in hospital on Tuesday, 1,270 in KP where one of them died in hospital on Tuesday, 213 in ICT one of them died in hospital on Tuesday, 149 in Balochistan one of them in hospital on Tuesday, 91 in GB among one of them died in hospital on Tuesday and 87 in AJK. A total of 4,317,678 corona tests have been conducted so far, while 735 hospitals are equipped with COVID facilities.
Some 853 corona patients were admitted in hospitals across the country. Meanwhile, a number of educational institutions in Hazara division including Abbottabad University of Science and Technology (AUST) have been closed owing to COVID-19 positive cases.
According to details, in Abbottabad, Army Burn Hall College for Boys (ABHC) was closed for 15 days and AUST for five days after confirmation of coronavirus cases in the institutes. On Tuesday, two more schools of Tehsil Balakot were closed as new cases were found in Girls Higher Secondary School Kaghan and Kaghan Memorial Trust.
In Haripur, the district health department recommended closing of two schools owing to the increasing threat of COVID-19. At global level, the virus situation has started worsening once again. France Tuesday reported 523 new deaths, the highest daily death toll since April. Reuters reports that Tuesday’s death toll data included hospital deaths, which were reported on a daily basis, and 235 retirement home deaths over the past four days.
Angela Merkel, meanwhile, warned that Germany’s health system might hit breaking point. She told party colleagues that the number of new cases was doubling every seven to eight days, while the number of occupied intensive care beds was doubling every 10 days.
The number of new coronavirus infections in Germany was likely to reach 20,000 a day by the end of the week, economy minister Peter Altmaier said on Tuesday. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been hospitalised. Tebboune was previously self-isolating due to contact with cases of COVID-19. A statement from the president’s office said he would continue to work from hospital.
