CM warns of tough decisions if Covid positivity continues to climb

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said Covid-19 cases during the last week of June have shown an upward trend and it needs to be controlled before the advent of major events such as the Eidul Azha, local government elections and Muharram; otherwise, the government would have no option but to take some tough decisions.

As many as 407 more people tested positive on Friday when 2,060 tests were conducted in Karachi, showing a positivity rate of 19.76 per cent.

“This situation can easily be controlled through adopting Covid-19 SOPs such as wearing masks, avoiding handshake, ensuring social distancing and washing hands voluntarily,” Shah said while presiding over a Coronavirus Task Force meeting at the CM House to review the situation.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Nasir Shah, Sharjeel Memon (by video link), law advisor Murtaza Wahab, Parliamentary Secretary on Health Qasim Soomro, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon, PSCM Fayaz Jatoi, Home Secretary Saeed Mangnijo, Commissioner Karachi Iqbal Memon, Dr Bari, Dr Qaiser Sajjad, Dr Sara Khan of the World Bank, VC Dow University Dr Saeed Qureshi, Deputy DG Rangers Brig Rauf Shahzad, and representatives of the Corps Headquarters.

The chief minister was told that on June 17 the province had only 38 cases with a 3.6 per cent detection rate, but the next day, June 18, the number of cases jumped to 122. In this, the cases went on increasing from 377, 531 and 465 reported on June 30. At this, the chief minister said that the situation was not alarming, but it was worrisome. “We need to control it through mass awareness,” he said.

The data of the last one week (June 24–30, 2022) shows that Karachi had the highest ratio of 19.76 per cent cases on June 30, 19.09 per cent on June 29, 19.24 per cent on June 28, 9.21 per cent on June 27, 22.65 per cent on June 26, 21.71 per cent on June 25, and 19.65 per cent on June 24.

During the corresponding period, Hyderabad had 11.54 per cent cases on June 24, 8.51 per cent on June 25, 0.32 per cent on June 26, 0.29 per cent on 27, 1.09 per cent on June 28, 0.15 per cent on June 29 and 0.39 per cent on June 30.

At this, the chief minister said that the ratio of cases in Karachi showed an upward trend between 19 and 21 per cent during the said week while the trend of the cases showed a decline in Hyderabad.

The weekly average of Covid cases in Karachi has been recorded at 17.47 per cent, 1.01 per cent in Hyderabad and 1.05 per cent in the rest of the province. In this way, the provincial average ratio during the said week remained at 7.66 per cent.

The chief minister was told that during the last 30 days six deaths were reported.

Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho told the chief minister that currently out of 4,122 patients only 63 were in hospitals, of them 47 were in critical condition. She added that only four patients had been shifted onto ventilators. At this, the chief minister said that it meant the hospitals were not under pressure.

On the advice of experts and members of the task force, the chief minister urged the people of the province to get vaccinated, and said that if they were already vaccinated they could get booster shots. “I would urge you to wear masks, ensure social distancing and keep washing or sanitizing your hands and avoid handshakes,” he said and added if these SOPs were adopted voluntarily, the provincial government would be able to control the situational; otherwise, drastic measures would be taken.