NCOC issues guidelines for Eid prayers

ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday approved strict guidelines and safety protocols for holding Eidul Fitr prayers across the country.

According to the guidelines, Eid prayers should be organised at open spaces with Covid protocols. In case if there was compulsion to offer Eid prayers in Masjid then windows and doors should be kept opened for good ventilation to reduce risk of infection and disease transmission.

However, in order to reduce gatherings two to three Eid prayers at a venue with staggered timings and minimum strength are held. The clerics and religious leaders are advised to keep the sermon brief in order to reduce the prayer timings as the virus spread was on rise.

The guidelines discouraged the sick, elderly and children less than 15 years of age from attending the Eid prayers.

As per guidelines, wearing face or surgical mask is mandatory. It is also necessary to erect multiple entry and exit points at prayer venues to avoid jumbling up of individuals and reduce risk of congestion.

The mosque management or authorities responsible for organising Eid prayers are directed to ensure thermal screening at entry points, availability and use of hand sanitisers and six feet social distancing markings at the venue.

The worshipers should bring their own prayer mats and also perform wudhu (ablution) at home. The safety protocols also underscored to discourage socialising or embracing and hand-shakes at the venue after prayers.

However, no gathering is allowed before and after the prayers usually observed after Eid prayers. Moreover, banners and panaflex highlighting Covid protocols should be displaced at the prominent places as part of awareness campaign whereas well laid out parking areas should be prepared for crowd management.

In the wake of ongoing restrictions imposed till May 16, 2021, the NCOC urged for greater national resolve to strictly adhere the standard operating procedures to control the spread of pandemic. It urged the nation to stand united and firm to support these steps undertaken for its wellbeing.

The NCOC session chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar and National Coordinator Lieutenant General Hamooduz Zaman Khan was held to take review of mobility control measures being implemented across the country from 8th to 16th May.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Health Dr Faisal Sultan also joined the session via video link. Meanwhile, the national tally on Tuesday of total active COVID-19 cases recorded 78,959 with 3,447 more people tested positive for the deadly virus and 4,387 people recovered from the disease during the last 24 hours.

One hundred and thirteen corona patients have died during past 24 hours, 95 of whom were under treatment in hospitals and 18 out of the hospitals in their respective quarantines or homes, according to the latest update issued by NCOC.

During the past 24 hours, most of the deaths have occurred in Punjab followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Out of the total 113 deaths, 49 of them had died who were under treatment on ventilators.

The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major areas including Lahore 64 percent, Multan 70 percent, Gujranwala 59 percent and Peshawar 40 percent.

The maximum Oxygen beds (alternate oxygen providing facility other than ventilator administered as per medical requirement of COVID patient) was also occupied in four major areas of Gujranwala 54 percent, Swabi 52 percent, Peshawar 52 percent and Multan 64 percent.

Around 607 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country while no COVID affected person was on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and Balochistan. Some 38,883 tests were conducted across the country on Monday, including 12,743 in Sindh, 16,594 in Punjab, 5,326 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2,515 in Islamabad Capital Territory, 1,098 in Balochistan, 285 in GB and 322 in AJK.

Around 766,492 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan making it a significant count with over 90 percent recovery ratio of the affected patients.

Since the pandemic outbreak, a total of 864,557 cases were detected that also included the perished, recovered and under treatment COVID-19 patients so far, including AJK 17,984, Balochistan 23,534, GB 5,401, ICT 78,382, KP 124,979, Punjab 320,851 and Sindh 293,426. About 19,106 deaths were recorded in country since the eruption of the contagion.

A total of 12,267,310 corona tests have been conducted so far, while 639 hospitals are equipped with COVID facilities. Some 5,353 corona patients were admitted in hospitals across the country.