Majority still not interested to follow SOPs

Rawalpindi : With number of coronavirus cases increasing with each passing day the people, unfortunately, seem to be paying no heed to the government directives to wear face mask and observe social distancing in public places.

A willful disregard for safety measures is quite clear by the fact that very few people are still seen wearing a face mask in crowded bazaars and markets of Rawalpindi despite strict warnings and instructions by the local and provincial authorities.

According to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the Punjab government the shopkeepers are not to cater to any customers without face masks, while also ensuring that a distance of at least six feet was maintained between each person.

It is pertinent to mention here that Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan has also formally announced a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Pakistan.

There is also no such thing as wearing face mask or social distancing in public transport vehicles like buses and wagons.

Abid Ayub, a commuter at Faizabad, said, “I have to use public transport to go to my office in Islamabad. Most of the time I appear to be the only person who wears a face mask while sitting in a bus or wagon.”

It was good to see that the traffic wardens were not allowing drivers and conductors of the public transport to ply their vehicles without using face masks. But the passengers should also follow the safety protocols to help cope with this challenging situation.

Social scientist Prof. Dr. Nadeem Akram said the coronavirus pandemic has caused socio-economic and cultural changes in the whole world and now, the people need to learn to live with it by following certain precautionary measures.