More sectors to be locked down if public doesn’t behave: Asad

ISLAMABAD: Planning minister Asad Umar has once again warned that the government would be compelled to close down more sectors — within weeks — as Covid-19 cases continue to surge amid public indifference to taking precautions.

Addressing a news conference after chairing a National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) meeting here, the minister lamented that the nation was not observing SOPs as much as it did during the first wave of the pandemic. “If we do not take it seriously, I fear that after a couple weeks, the situation could deteriorate to the extent that we would have no other choice but to close down more sectors,” Umar warned.

“The most dangerous [risk] is that some political parties insist holding big public gatherings despite a ban on the assembly of more than 300 people,” he said, referring to the opposition’s planned rally in Lahore on Sunday. His warning came as Pakistan’s active cases were leapt to 45,324 after 2,963 more people tested positive in the 24-hour period leading to Wednesday, while 60 people died, according to NCOC data. The NCOC also revealed that out of the 60 virus deaths, 39 people died on ventilators.

Across the country, a total of 348 coronavirus patients are on ventilators, with the most ventilators occupied in Multan (63 per cent), Islamabad (49 per cent), Peshawar (41 per cent) and Lahore (36 per cent).

Discussing the spiralling coronavirus situation, Asad Umar said by mid-October, the national positivity ratio was only two per cent, but by last week it increased to 8.7 per cent. He said in that week (of mid October), only eight people were dying daily, but now the number of daily casualties had risen to about 60 people