Coronavirus in Pakistan

[last_knight]

Is the oxygen crisis been resolved yet?

What kind of oxygen crisis? Can you provide some background?

 

[finalfantasy7]

What kind of oxygen crisis? Can you provide some background?

thr were reports few weeks ago that im sure in rawalpindi and few other places had run out of oxygen canisters - have they resolved this, those hospitals

 

[last_knight]

thr were reports few weeks ago that im sure in rawalpindi and few other places had run out of oxygen canisters - have they resolved this, those hospitals

I am unaware of Oxygen crisis during second wave. Haven't heard/read any such news. I will try to get info from Rawalpindi colleagues.

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan on Tuesday reported its first confirmed cases of a new coronavirus strain detected in the United Kingdom earlier this year.

According to the Sindh health department, 12 samples of UK returnees were taken for genotyping out of which six were positive and three showed the new variant of the Covid virus in the first phase.

 

[MenInG]

Highest positivity rate reported in Karachi

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) in its latest update said that the highest positivity rate in the country was reported in Karachi (15.7 per cent), followed by Peshawar (15.5pc) and Mirpur (9.2pc).

The national positivity rate was recorded at 5.8pc.

The countrywide positivity rates are as follows:

Azad Jammu and Kashmir: 8.5pc
Sindh: 8.1pc
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 5.3pc
Punjab: 4.7pc
Balochistan: 3.8pc
Islamabad: 3.3pc
Gilgit Baltistan: 1.4pc

 

[MenInG]

The number of novel coronavirus infections in Pakistan crossed the 500,000 mark on Sunday with 2,899 new cases being reported in the past 24 hours.

Data issued by the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) showed that the pace of the pandemic has quickened with 20,598 more cases in just nine days since the new year started. The

The most number of cases was recorded in Sindh with 1,505 new infections, followed by 798 cases in Punjab, 397 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 150 in Islamabad, 27 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and 22 in Balochistan.

At least 46 people died across the country on Saturday, raising the national COVID-19 death toll to 10,644. With 18 people succumbing to the virus, Punjab saw the most deaths while Sindh was second with 14, followed by KP with 10 deaths and Balochistan one.

At the moment there are 34,803 active cases in the country, out of which at least 2,278 patients are under critical care. With 1,524 people surviving the virus, the national tally for recoveries has surged to 456,969.

 

[finalfantasy7]

The number of novel coronavirus infections in Pakistan crossed the 500,000 mark on Sunday with 2,899 new cases being reported in the past 24 hours.

Data issued by the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) showed that the pace of the pandemic has quickened with 20,598 more cases in just nine days since the new year started. The

The most number of cases was recorded in Sindh with 1,505 new infections, followed by 798 cases in Punjab, 397 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 150 in Islamabad, 27 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and 22 in Balochistan.

At least 46 people died across the country on Saturday, raising the national COVID-19 death toll to 10,644. With 18 people succumbing to the virus, Punjab saw the most deaths while Sindh was second with 14, followed by KP with 10 deaths and Balochistan one.

At the moment there are 34,803 active cases in the country, out of which at least 2,278 patients are under critical care. With 1,524 people surviving the virus, the national tally for recoveries has surged to 456,969.

yet we havent hit the 50,000 a day testing mark, minimun we should be at is 150,000. Have noideas, why the army/ rangers haven't set up tents to do tests, especially around the big cities

 

[sjahmed23]

yet we havent hit the 50,000 a day testing mark, minimun we should be at is 150,000. Have noideas, why the army/ rangers haven't set up tents to do tests, especially around the big cities

They don't want to disclose the numbers. Far greater problems in Pakistan than covid right now.

 

[last_knight]

They don't want to disclose the numbers. Far greater problems in Pakistan than covid right now.

What does this even means?

I can't understand if you are blaming us for hiding the numbers or saying something else.

In 4 tertiary Care Hospitals affiliated with our Medical college, worst phase of Covid was in June 2020. We have seen surge during Second wave but this is no way near to the situation we had in June.

If outside world wants to belittle our efforts with unsubstantiated claims of "hiding the number" and "not testing enough", they can continue comforting themselves. None of our concerns. Fact is that maximum stretch we doctors and hospitals experienced was in June 2020 and currently its not even 50% of that.

I think also [MENTION=140234]DRsohail[/MENTION] and [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] can confirm this for their respective hospitals.

 

[DRsohail]

Situation is not worse. We have been doing great as I have not received any suspected COvId for one month means its not bad. But we can only test those who come for check up and evaluation. Second wave is not not worse at all. By the way I am working in Rural health center now . In November I received many suspected COVID.

 

[Firebat]

 

[MenInG]

KARACHI: Pakistan's southern port city has reported the highest rate of positive cases for the novel coronavirus, with the global pandemic spreading unabated across Pakistan.

According to the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), Karachi reported the highest COVID-19 positivity rate at 14.56% in the last 24 hours, as opposed to Pakistan's overall rate of 5.8%. Peshawar follows the metropolis at 9.92% — the second-highest.

The NCOC's data indicated that the rate of positive coronavirus cases in Quetta, Hyderabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Swat, Multan, Rawalpindi, Abbottabad, and Muzaffarabad was 8.04%, 7.76%, 5.96%, 3.62%, 3.52%, 2.73%, 1.90%, 1.82%, and 1.35%, respectively.

In terms of regions and provinces, the positivity rate in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Punjab, and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) was recorded at 8.47%, 7.39%, 6.25%, 5.43%, 3.63%, and 2.14%, respectively.

As of January 12, Pakistan recorded a total of 508,824 positive cases of coronavirus since the outbreak last year. So far, 464,950 people have recovered from the virus, while 10,772 people have succumbed to the disease. There were 2,123 new cases reported in the last 24 hours along with 55 deaths.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: The number of coronavirus deaths in Pakistan surged to 11,055 on Tuesday, according to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) tally as a new coronavirus variant threatens the country's prevention measures to curb the pandemic.

Since the start of January 2021, the country has witnessed 48.8 deaths on average every day with hospital intensive care units nearing capacity across the country as active COVID-19 cases surge to 35,485.

Over 2,000 people died of coronavirus in the month of December last year while the death toll for November 2020 was 1,268 and October recorded 339 fatalities.

Read more: Pakistan's drug authority approves emergency use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine

On Tuesday, the country's COVID-19 case tally stood at 523,011 with 1,800 new infections recorded in the past 24 hours. The NCOC data shows that 40,833 people have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 since the beginning of the new year - at an average of 2268.5 infections per day.

The month of December 2020 saw a total of 81,696 cases while November and October's infection tally stood at 66,512 and 21,164.

The uptick comes as authorities okayed two anti-coronavirus vaccine for emergency use across the country - the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine with 70.4% efficacy and China's Sinopharm vaccine with an efficacy of 79%.

With the approval by Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP), the federal and provincial governments as well as the private sector is free to import the vaccines and administer it.

Pakistan has one of the highest recovery rates in the world as 91.1% (or 476,471) of all COVID-19 patients have made a full recovery. In the past 24 hours, the country saw 1,243 testing negative for the virus.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.geo.tv/latest/337230-travel-restrictions-for-visitors-to-pakistan-extended-till-march-14-caa

The Civil Aviation Authority on Saturday issued a notification stating that instructions issued on December 31, 2020 regarding standard operating procedures to be followed by all inbound travellers to Pakistan have been extended till March 14.

The category list of countries from which visitors seek to travel to Pakistan will also remain in effect till March 14, the CAA said.

An updated list of countries, classified under categories A, B and C was also shared by the aviation authority.

Category A
According to the list, Category A countries "do not require COVID-19 PCR test before entry into Pakistan".

These countries — 24 in all — include Australia, China, Iraq, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore.

Category C
Travel from Category C countries to Pakistan is restricted and "only allowed as per guidelines of NCOC (National Command and Operations Centre)", said CAA, adding that restrictions specified in a January 29 notice for Category C countries will remain effective till March 14.

These countries are 15 in number and include South Africa, United Kingdom, Ireland, and The Netherlands.

In the notice dated January 29, CAA had said that only the following people from Category C countries are allowed to travel to Pakistan, as long as they have a negative PCR test — one that was conducted 72 hours prior at the most:

- Pakistani passport holders holding a valid visa from a category C country

- Pakistani NICOP holders

- Pakistan Origin Card (POC) holiders

- Diplomatic passport holders of Category C countries and their families

Any passengers from Category C countries falling under any of the above-mentioned criteria or having stayed in a Category C country within the last 10 days prior to travel to Pakistan "may also be subjected to additional stipulations as specified by the relevant Health Authorities upon arrival in Pakistan", the notice added.

Category B
All countries not listed in Category A or C fall under Category B. Travellers from these countries coming to Pakistan require a negative COVID-19 PCR test which must have been taken 72 hours before travel at the most.

 

[last_knight]

At our hospital, I have observed a surge in cases during last 8-10 days.

 

[sjahmed23]

Every other person in my extended family got covid and many other people I know also dii and people are not taking any precautions whatsoever.

 

[saeedhk]

^ I think at least 50% of Pakistanis have COVID-19. Every other person I know in Pakistan has got the virus and as toy said, they do not really care.

If there was testing in Pakistan, we would have the highest number of COVID-19 cases.

 

[last_knight]

If there was testing in Pakistan, we would have the highest number of COVID-19 cases.

There is more to it than Non-Healthcare-Observers think.

Some clinicians (Not all of them), first go for HRCT-Chest of patients and if HRCT indicates towards Covid-19, then they check for PCR. If HRCT chest is normal, they don't go for PCR Test.

This approach of "HRCT before PCR" has been more cost effective and more yielding.

 

[Slog]

In the past month many people I know second hand (friends’ siblings or parents, extended relatives etc etc) have been diagnosed with COVID. However the positivity rate hasn’t budged much. Surely wrong data

 

[Itachi]

In the past month many people I know second hand (friends’ siblings or parents, extended relatives etc etc) have been diagnosed with COVID. However the positivity rate hasn’t budged much. Surely wrong data

There were instances of people also in India where they did went through the same symptoms but instead of testing, just isolated themselves for two weeks. In desi countries, the affected numbers will be higher than the data indeed.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1610192/fresh-travel-advisory-issued-by-caa

The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has amended the categorised country list concerning inbound travel to Pakistan by adding nine countries to Category C.

The fresh advisory has been issued by the director Air Transport department of PCAA which will remain valid till March 14.

After addition of nine countries, there are now 15 countries in Category C including the UK, South Africa, Portugal, Peru, Netherlands, Tanzania, Botswana, Columbia, Comoros, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Zambia, Brazil and Mozambique.

Earlier six countries, including the UK, Brazil, Ireland, Portugal, Netherlands and South Africa were in the list. International travel to Pakistan from category C countries is restricted and only allowed as per guidelines of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

The PCAA has categorised 21 countries “A”. Travellers from Category A do not require Covid-19 PCR test before entry into Pakistan. Whereas, travellers from countries not specified in category A, require a test - 72 hours old - before commencing travel to Pakistan.

All countries not specified in category A, and C, fall in category B, the CAA stated.

 

[gkb101277867]

Numbers are beginning to rise again slightly. Seen a lot of news articles saying a third wave in pakistan is imminent

 

[Gotham Cronie]

^ I think at least 50% of Pakistanis have COVID-19.

There's a 108 million people in Pakistan with Covid-19. Amazing.

 

[Last Monetarist]

NCOC to review decision on reopening schools amid rise in Covid-19 cases

https://www.dawn.com/news/1611401/ncoc-to-review-decision-on-reopening-schools-amid-rise-in-covid-19-cases

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Monday decided to review the decision to reopen schools amid the rising trend of coronavirus cases across the country, according to the The Associated Press of Pakistan.

The NCOC meeting, presided over by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, was attended by National Coordinator Lt Gen Hamood Uz Zaman Khan as well as representatives from each province via video link.

Last month, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood had announced that schools in major cities would resume routine classes from March 1 in view of the declining trend of Covid-19 cases across the country.

But the trend now appears to be reversing, with Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, issuing a stark warning to "remember that the pandemic is not over" last week.

During Monday's session, the NCOC also discussed updates from the provinces on the rising Covid-19 positivity rate, progress in the vaccination campaign as well as the national vaccine strategy.

The meeting also discussed deferring the opening up of cinemas, indoor weddings and dine-in restaurants, which were expected to be allowed with effect from March 15. The next review on this matter is set to be held in the first week of April.

The NCOC expressed its concerns over public complacency in following non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) — alternative measures to treat the disease other than medical treatment. These include following the SOP guidelines issued by the NCOC, such as mask-wearing, hand-washing and maintaining social distancing, among others.

Provincial administrations were directed to ensure strict enforcement of NPIs at the grass-root level to contain the spread of the disease as any slackness in adhering to safety guidelines would trigger the contagion outbreak.

The number of Covid-19 cases has surged by around 50 per cent ever since the NCOC eased restrictions late last month.

As many as 1,714 people contracted the virus and 38 lost their lives in a single day while the number of active cases increased to 17,352 on March 6. A total of 2,002 patients were admitted to hospitals across the country on Saturday.

 

[OMB]

Pakistan Records 1,353 Coronavirus Cases in 24 Hours

Confirmed infections reach 593,453, against 563,823 recoveries and 13,281 deaths, leaving 16,349 active cases
Pakistan on Tuesday reported 1,353 new infections of the novel coronavirus after conducting 31,786 tests—a positivity ratio of 4.26 percent.

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday announced it had formed a two-member panel to investigate how players and staff got infected with the coronavirus during the Pakistan Super League tournament, especially as they were all living in a bio-secure bubble. The panel is comprised of infectious disease experts Dr. Syed Faisal Mahmood and Dr. Salman Mohammad Abbas, who will review the bio-secure bubble protocols put in place for the PSL and submit a report to PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani by March 31.

Despite passing through two waves of COVID-19, Pakistan has yet to fully utilize its claimed testing capacity of 60,977, with daily testing significantly below numbers proposed by global health experts. According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan’s testing policies only record the most symptomatic patients—a belief substantiated by a Punjab government official as the “most efficient use of resources”—while ignoring the spread among asymptomatic carriers, which studies suggest comprise the majority of infections nationwide.

Confirmed Cases, Total – 593,453 (Tests: 9,278,613)

Punjab – 178,648

Sindh – 259,956

Balochistan – 19,121

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – 74,167

Islamabad – 45,976

Gilgit-Baltistan – 4,959

Pakistan-administered Kashmir – 10,626

Deaths – 13,281

Recoveries – 563,823

In the 24 hours preceding 8 a.m., Tuesday, Pakistan’s confirmed cases climbed to 593,453. Meanwhile, deaths increased by 54 to 13,281. At the same time, recoveries increased by 3,365 to 563,823, or 95 percent of total infections. There are currently 16,349 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with the NCOC saying 1,644 of them are in critical condition.


https://www.newsweekpakistan.com/pakistan-records-1353-coronavirus-cases-in-24-hours/

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan reports over 2,000 Covid-19 cases for the first time since Jan 29

Pakistan has reported 2,258 cases in the last 24 hours, marking the first time the country has reported over 2,000 infections since January 29, when 2,186 cases were recorded.

Region-wise breakdown of cases
Punjab: 1,290 cases
Islamabad: 350 cases
KP: 289 cases
Sindh: 256 cases
AJK: 57 cases
Balochistan: 16 cases

With the number of daily cases rising rapidly in the last two weeks, Pakistan seems to be heading towards a third wave of the virus, data suggests.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1611903/pakistans-daily-covid-tally-crosses-2000-for-first-time-since-jan-as-3rd-wave-imminent

A day after the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) re-imposed restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the country, Pakistan reported more than 2,000 virus cases for the first time since January.

According to official data, Pakistan has reported 2,258 cases in the last 24 hours, marking the first time the country has reported over 2,000 infections since January 29, when 2,186 cases were recorded.

An NCOC press release stated that 42,164 tests were conducted on March 10, which translates into a positivity rate of 5.3 per cent, while the total number of active cases in the country is 17,627 as of March 11.

Breakdown of cases reported during last 24 hours:

Punjab: 1,290 cases
Islamabad: 350 cases
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 289 cases
Sindh: 256 cases
Azad Jammu and Kashmir: 57 cases
Balochistan: 16 cases
With the new cases, the national tally has risen to 597,497.

The NCOC also shared the percentage of ventilators occupied in four major areas of the country. According to the breakdown, Lahore has the rate of ventilator occupancy at 39 per cent.

Highest ventilator occupancy rates
Lahore: 39pc
Islamabad: 37pc
Peshawar: 24pc
Multan: 21pc
Furthermore, another city in Punjab — Gujrat — has the highest rate of oxygen beds currently occupied at 94pc, highlighting a worsening situation in the province.

Highest oxygen beds occupancy rates
Gujrat: 94pc
Peshawar: 39pc
Islamabad: 36pc
Lahore: 29pc

Meanwhile, Punjab has reported 1,290 coronavirus cases and 33 deaths during the past 24 hours. The provincial total has risen to 180,944 and the death toll is 5,662.

This is the second straight day the province has reported more than 1,000 coronavirus cases. A day earlier, Punjab recorded 1,006 cases and 29 deaths.

According to the Punjab health department's data, 741 of the 1,290 cases (57.4pc) were reported in Lahore – the provincial capital. Rawalpindi and Faisalabad both reported 81 cases each, followed by 58 in Gujrat.

Addressing a press conference later on Thursday, Punjab Health Minister Yasmin Rashid said that the public needed to practice precautionary measures in order to curb the spread of the disease.

She stated that some parts of the province were reporting the British variant of the Covid-19 virus which was more contagious. "[Therefore] we think that the British strain is causing a spike in cases," she said.

She added that it was important to relay this information to the public as some had taken the situation "very lightly". "When the government decided to lift restrictions [...] people stopped taking precautionary measures," she said.

The Punjab health minister also urged citizens over the age of 60 to register themselves for the Covid-19 vaccine.

Earlier this week, a senior official of the health department had said the Punjab government’s hospitals were reporting an alarming situation because of the increasing number of the Covid-19 patients.

He had warned that if new cases continued to increase at the present pace, the government would have to expand the bed ratio and treatment facilities for Covid-19 patients. The facilities at public hospitals were yet to be reviewed, he had added, seeking anonymity.

The government, in view of the declining trend of Covid-19 cases prevailing in the country, had earlier relaxed a number of restrictions on commercial activities and official work on Feb 24.

Under the new directives, time limit on commercial activities had been lifted and condition of 50 per cent attendance at workplaces was removed with immediate effect.

Permission to hold indoor wedding ceremonies and opening of cinemas and shrines had also been granted with effect from March 15

However, expressing concern over the government’s decision to relax Covid-19 related restrictions, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) had on March 4 warned that the coronavirus situation may worsen in the country as the vaccination campaign was moving at a slow pace.

It suggested that the restrictions shouldn’t be lifted till 70 per cent of the country’s population was vaccinated against coronavirus.

As cases began rising drastically since then, the NCOC on Wednesday (March 10) re-imposed a number of restrictions that had been in force in the country prior to Feb 24.

The centre announced a two-week spring vacation in educational institutions in 10 cities whereas Balochistan and Sindh were suggested to limit attendance to 50pc.

It decided to continue smart lockdowns and micro smart lockdowns and re-enforce 50pc work from home policy and time limit of 10pm on all commercial activities with immediate effect. Amusement parks will be closed at 6pm and strict compliance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) will continue across the board.

The NCOC session was presided over by Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar which reviewed the non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) already issued and valid till March 15.

Later at a joint press conference, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan and Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood said a number of relaxations had been withdrawn. Mahmood said the meeting discussed the prevailing pandemic situation in the country.

“It was decided that in Sindh and Balochistan, the situation was better due to which 50pc students will be allowed to attend schools per day. In 10 cities of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtun*khwa, Azad Kashmir and Islamabad, spring vacations will start from March 15 and educational institutions will remain closed for two weeks till March 28 in view of the rising Covid-19 cases,” he said.

The minister said the cities where the new directives would be applicable were Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Lahore, Gujrat, Multan, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Islamabad, Muzaffarabad and Peshawar. However, he said final examinations, which were under way or expected to take place later this month, including those of O and A levels, would go ahead as per schedule.

Additionally, he said in the remaining parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, half of the students would keep attending classes daily.

He said the provincial governments would keep reviewing the situation and, if it worsened, closure of schools would be necessary.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1612114/third-covid-19-wave-has-started-asad-umar

Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Thursday said that the third wave of the coronavirus has started in the country.

Speaking on DawnNews TV show Zara Hut Kay, Umar, who is heading Pakistan's response to the coronavirus, said there was "no doubt" that the third wave had started and cited the spread of the coronavirus variant from the United Kingdom as the reason behind it.

"The phenomenon that is driving [the third wave] is the spread of the UK strain." He said that when the government looked at districts where a higher number of cases were reported, it found that these were areas where a large population of Pakistanis residing in Britain lived.

"We asked NIH (National Institute of Health) to do genome sequencing and first we saw [the UK strain] in areas in north Pakistan, including Islamabad. After that, we also did [genome sequencing] for the rest of the country.

"The dominant strain at this time is the UK strain," he added.

Umar said that the new strain of the coronavirus was more transmissible than the original strain from Wuhan. The most recent research reports suggested that its mortality rate is also higher, he added.

"Our own statistics from the last few weeks show a sustained increase in our case fatality rate (the number of patients who succumbed to the virus from the total number infected). At the time, we were speculating that it may be linked to the UK strain. But now the research report is here which establishes [the link]," the minister said, terming it a "very dangerous situation".

Talking about neighbouring countries, India and Bangladesh, the minister noted that cases were increasing everywhere.

When asked about the number of Pakistanis who had been infected by the UK Covid-19 strain, Umar replied that the government could not do the genome sequencing of every positive test because it was a "cumbersome and expensive process".

However, the government had done statistical analysis through sampling, Umar shared. "We can definitely conclude that the majority of cases being reported now — more than half — are of the UK variant."

There were several cities where two-thirds of the new cases were of the UK variant, he added.

A day earlier, Pakistan reported more than 2,000 virus cases for the first time since January, raising fears of a third wave.

Talking about vaccinations and why Pakistan was lagging behind in the number of people inoculated against the virus, the minister noted that India was among the world's biggest vaccine manufacturers. Other countries in the region had therefore received vaccine doses from India as part of diplomatic relations which had given them a headstart, he said.

Umar said Western governments, including those in the United States, UK, and Canada had invested billions of dollars at the development stage which is why the process to invent vaccines was accelerated. However, this led to a "lock" on the vaccines by those countries, he added.

"The other options that were available to us were the Russian vaccine Sputnik V and the Chinese vaccines Sinopharm and CansinoBio."

The minister said that Pakistan was among the first signatories to the Covax programme for Covid-19 vaccines and signed formal agreements in December as well.

"Our main supply source is Gavi and we received confirmation again. It was initially expected that vaccine doses would be available on March 2. They have to provide vaccines for 45 million Pakistanis."

This would be without cost for taxpayers, he clarified. The manufacturing for the AstraZeneca vaccine, which would be supplied to Pakistan, was being done at the Serum Institute of India, Umar said.

He said the government was confident that the first batch of vaccines would be received within the current month. The first batch of vaccines from CansinoBio would also be delivered this month.

"Another big delivery will happen with next month. We will fill [the vaccines here] and might later use the facility to export them to the region.

"We already have vaccines for everyone in Pakistan who has registered."

He said the government had estimated that a large number of people would be hesitant to get vaccinated against Covid-19, adding that it would be a "very big achievement" if 60 per cent of people were inoculated.

"Vaccinations will be happening at the end of 2021 as well," he predicted.

Umar said that more than half of the country's healthcare workers had been vaccinated.

Talking about vaccine efficacy, he said that it would only be known after three to six months which vaccine was most successful.

"All these vaccines that have been approved by the world's leading regulatory agencies are safe for you. There is a much bigger risk if you don't get vaccinated," he emphasised.

Addressing concerns about side-effects from the vaccines, Umar said no such case had been reported in the country.

He shared that Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan and Adviser to the Prime Minister for Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Husain, who was around 80 years of age, had recently been vaccinated with Sinopharm.

He said in the next phase, vaccination registration would open for people aged 50 and above in two weeks.

When asked why teachers were not being prioritised for vaccination, he said when "we go into value judgements, we will step into a minefield".

Umar said that a private market for vaccines had not been established anywhere in the world as governments still had control because supply was short and demand was more.

"There was no example of the price mechanism. We did not want to have any obstacle that would prevent the private sector from importing vaccines and giving those to people who were willing to pay for them," he said while talking about the government's decision to remove price caps on vaccine import.

He clarified that no company had imported the vaccine yet despite having permission to do so.

 

[the Great Khan]

so when they knew this could happen why didnt they stop flights from the UK?? ridiculous. Sorry Im a big PTI supporter but why didnt they do this? they have done a decent job up until now but this was stupid.

 

[Firebat]

NCOC has hinted to announce incoming flight restrictions in Pakistan to stop the spread of Brazilian and South African variants of COVID in the country. Complete lockdowns in Punjab, KPK and Islamabad also on the cards if the positivity rate keeps climbing.

 

[MenInG]

LAHORE: The Punjab government has imposed a lockdown in seven high-burdened cities of the province, restricting movement of the people to their homes, following intensity of the third wave of the Covid-19.

The major lockdown will start from Monday (tomorrow) for two weeks in the seven cities after a gap of a year. During the first wave of the infection in March 2020, the government had imposed a complete lockdown across the province.

The Punjab government repeated the practice in seven cities, following a massive surge in the coronavirus cases, primarily due to the UK variant of the virus.

All gatherings, dining, movement inside/outside districts banned; markets to shut by 6pm in rest of province

While issuing a notification on Saturday, the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department said a major lockdown had been imposed in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala and Gujrat, restricting the movement of the people within these districts and outside them. There shall also be a complete ban on gatherings of all kinds for social, religious or other purposes at any place, public or private, in these seven cities. All types of marriage and banquet halls, community centres and marquees will remain closed in these cities. There shall be a complete ban on all kinds of indoor gatherings while outdoor gatherings shall with upper limit of 50 people in the seven cities.


The government stated that there shall be a complete ban on indoor and outdoor dining in the seven cities while only takeaway and home delivery shall be allowed.

The upper limit for outdoor gatherings in the rest of province is 300 people in the rest of the province for the maximum duration of two hours.

“All kind of sports, cultural and other activities and events shall remain banned throughout the province,” reads the notification.

The health department stated the lockdown had been imposed after approval from Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

It stated that under the new decision, all commercial activities, establishments, and markets throughout the province shall be closed by 6pm on weekdays and shall remain completely closed on weekends, i.e. Saturdays and Sundays.

However, all medical services, pharmacies, medical stores, bakeries, general stores, milk/meat/chicken shops, tandoors, fruit, vegetables, courier services, driver hotels, patrol pumps, etc would remain exempt from these restrictions.

Amusement parks throughout the province shall close by 6pm each day while all private and public offices and establishments shall follow the policy of work from home for 50pc of their staff throughout the province.

The notification further reads that all cinemas and shrines shall remain closed throughout the province.

The industrial activities shall remain exempt from operation of this order, which shall remain in force till March 29, according to the notification.

Meanwhile, with the constant surge in the number of the Covid cases, the Punjab government enforced smart lockdown in 36 more localities of three cities, including Lahore, on Saturday.

Of the three cities, the lockdown was imposed in 17 areas of Gujrat, 16 of Lahore and four hotspots of Rawalpindi.

In Lahore, the smart lockdown was imposed in many streets, localities and blocks of Cantonment Board, Nishtar Town, Samanabad, Shalimar and Wagah areas.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2021

 

[cricketjoshila]

What is the plan for vaccines after the 45 million GAVI doses are done with.?

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.samaa.tv/news/2021/03/three-islamabad-sub-sectors-being-sealed-to-curb-coronavirus-spread-administration/

Islamabad administration has decided to seal three sub-sectors in the city after at least 345 new cases of the coronavirus were reported in a day, the deputy commission confirmed Sunday.

According to a notification, Islamabad’s three sub-sectors F-11/1, I-8/4 and I-10/2 will be sealed by 12:00am midnight to prevent the spread of the virus until further orders.

Pharmacies, grocery stores, bakeries and testing labs will, however, remain opened.

“The Islamabad police [and] Rangers are requested to cordon off the above mentioned areas in order to ensure public safety and eliminate further spread of the virus,” read the notification. “The concerned Assistant Commissioner ICT, Islamabad shall ensure provision of essential commodities and food supplies in the sealed areas.”

Hamza Shafqaat, the deputy commission, said in a Twitter post that all the public parks and commercial areas will remain closed in the sub-sectors on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Outdoor functions are only allowed for two hours with less than 300 people, said Shafqaat, adding that the offices will not be allowed to call more than 50% of their employees to the workplaces.

 

[MenInG]

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Monday ordered the closure of all markets at 10pm and directed businesses to re-implement the 50% work-from-home policy (detailed notification below) amid a resurgence of coronavirus cases in the country.

A notification to this effect was issued by the Sindh Home Department in the afternoon. Apart from the measures outlined above, the Sindh government also notified the closure of shrines, early closure of amusement parks and other stringent measures to contain the pandemic.

Pakistan is in the midst of a third wave of COVID-19 due to the UK variant, which is spreading rapidly across the country. The positivity ratio has remained above 5% during the past few days, raising concern among policymakers.

Read more: Punjab CM warns against complacency

According to fresh statistics, 2,253 new positive cases were reported in the last 24 hours while 29 more succumbed to the virus. The death toll has now reached 13,537 and there are now 22,038 active cases of the pandemic.

The Sindh government notification.

“In pursuance of the directions of NCOC (NCOC), Government of Pakistan and in review of this department’s order of even number dated 01 03 2021, Government of Sindh in exercise of the powers under Section 3 (1) of Sindh Epidemic Diseases Act 2014 (The Sindh Act VIII of 2015) is pleased to re-direct as under with immediate elect and till 15th April, 2021 unless changed or amended earlier,” the notification read.


New directives are as follows:

All commercial/business to have revised timings Markets. shopping malls, marriage halls, etc to open from 6:00am to 10:00pm (except essential services like medical stores. clinics, hospitals as well as petrol pumps, bakeries/milk shops, restaurants, etc).
Amusement Parks to be closed by 06:00pm.

Work from Home - 50% of the staff in all public/private sector offices told to return to work from home arrangements.
No indoor marriages/weddings - as per earlier decisions, only outdoor event/marriages allowed with an upper limit of 300 persons till 10:00pm under defined SOPs. Marquees told to operate only with defined modifications for proper ventilation. No buffet service is allowed.

Restaurants - as per earlier decisions, no indoor dining allowed. Only outdoor dining and takeaway/home delivery services to continue.
Closure of all indoor gatherings gathering places, indoor gyms to be closed. Indoor sports facilities, cinemas and theatres, shrines to also be closed.

Outdoor gatherings allowed only in an open space with a maximum limit of 300 individuals under strict Covid-19 SOPs.
Compulsory Mask wearing and social distancing at all government private offices and public places.

Smart lockdowns (SLDs) as necessary based on disease hotspots as deemed appropriate by respective Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners under the Sindh Epidemic Diseases Act, 2014.


GEO

 

[MenInG]

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Monday warned the public against taking the current wave of the coronavirus pandemic lightly while directing the authorities to ensure strict compliance of SOPs across the province.

In a statement, CM Buzdar described the current wave of the virus are "more dangerous" than the previous. COVID-19 cases have spiked sharply in the country's largest province during the last two weeks.

According to government data, 1,191 cases of coronavirus were reported in Punjab in the last 24 hours, out of 2,253 cases in total reported from all over Pakistan.

The provincial government has also reimposed restrictions in order to contain the virus and enforced smart lockdowns in various cities, while educational institutes in seven cities have been shut for two weeks from today.

 

[msb314]

so when they knew this could happen why didnt they stop flights from the UK?? ridiculous. Sorry Im a big PTI supporter but why didnt they do this? they have done a decent job up until now but this was stupid.

Only Pakistan ciitizens along with NICOP / POC holders are allowed to enter from UK, Brazil or South Africa. Even then they require additional screening and rapid testing on arrival.

Foreign citizens from these 3 countries or anyone having visited them during the last 14 days are banned from entering.

I know this as someone who had travelled to Pakistan recently

 

[Firebat]

Pakistan increases COVID restrictions amid a third wave

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistani authorities have sealed sections of the capital Islamabad, officials say, as the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic caused a spike in cases and hospital admissions across the country.

Pakistan recorded 2,253 new cases of the virus in the last 24 hours, with active cases rising by 917 to 22,038, according to government data released on Monday.

At least 29 people died from the virus on that day, the data shows, taking the overall death toll in Pakistan since the pandemic began to 13,537.

Pakistan has had a lower rate of severe disease from COVID-19, but the country has dealt with at least two prior waves of widespread infections.

With low testing rates, experts say the actual number of cases is likely far higher than the recorded data.

On Sunday, the country’s test positivity rate was 5.11 percent, with 44,061 tests conducted.

Authorities in the capital Islamabad said they would seal three neighbourhoods on Monday, due to the rapid spread of the UK variant of the coronavirus.

“More areas are expected to be locked down,” said the office of the capital’s deputy commissioner. “New UK variant strain is prevalent in Islamabad.

“[Permissions] issued to all functions, festivals, gatherings withdrawn. Any kind of indoor activity is not allowed. Outdoor functions are only allowed for two hours with less than 300 [people].”

Countrywide cases have risen by 22,018 in the last 10 days, a 68-percent increase from the preceding 10 days, according to official data.

Vaccination drive for the elderly

Last week, Pakistan began the second phase of its coronavirus vaccination campaign, with senior citizens over the age of 60 eligible to register to receive their first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine.

On Sunday, Planning Minister Asad Umar lamented that the rates of registrations were still low, saying less than 10 percent of those over 60 had registered so far.

“There is a great need for people to get registered and come get vaccinated,” Umar told private television channel Geo News.

“I appeal to people – at least those who are above 60 – to immediately get registered so we can be done vaccinating the high-risk group.”

Pakistan is currently administering vaccines from a stock of 500,000 Sinopharm vaccines donated by the Chinese government in January.

It has one of the lowest vaccination rates among countries that have kicked off large-scale campaigns, with just 0.09 vaccinations per 100 citizens, compared with 37.15 in the United Kingdom, 31.93 in the United States and 2.15 in neighbouring India.

The country is due to receive 14.6 million doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine through the global COVAX initiative in two phases.
Last week, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), which is leading Pakistan’s coronavirus response and is headed by Umar, suspending educational institutions for two weeks in 10 major cities, restricting commercial business hours and reimposing a 50 percent work-from-home policy for offices.

On Sunday, the government in the country’s most populous province of Punjab imposed even tighter restrictions, ordering all but essential services to shut on the weekends and withdrawing authorisations for large gatherings and sporting events.

SOURCE : AL JAZEERA

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

 

[Last Monetarist]

Infection rates for new Coronavirus cases in past 24 hours:

AJK 8.08%
Islamabad 7.77%
Punjab 10.62%
KP 8.19%
Sindh 3.62%

 

[Saj]

When I speak with relatives in Pakistan, most just laugh Covid-19 off and state that they are going about their daily lives as if Covid was a fabrication.

They state that most of the population are going to work as normal, attending weddings, mosque, other gatherings etc as normal.

No surprise that the rates are increasing.

 

[Major]

So our Unis opened up and like all students i went to campus for the first week as i was amongest the students to show for class during week 1 and be online on week two.

Long story short, my teacher got Covid, I got covid, another friend of mine got Covid and another student i know also got Covid and is on ICU.

Now I always had my mask, never took it off. During this one day i started sneezing badly. i have allergies, but this was unusual as when i get consistent sneezes during 3-5 hours, I take an allergy pill and every thing becomes. The pill did not work.

By next day i had a very slight sore throat but by day 3 I was ok. I was having cramp feelings around my stomach area. I am losing my taste and smell. Infact, i had lost it, i knew i have covid now.

I got myself meds, doc gave me steroids, panadol and antibiotic. Took the meds and also took the covid saliva test for Rs. 5000.

I came out positive the next day but the meds made my condition better. I am 26 years old so everything would be alright.

4 days later I feel i am having pain in my chest. Now i am scared, this seems it is going into my lungs. By night time my lungs are hurting and I think this is it, i might have to get a ventilator and might die.

I rush to the hospital. I can't go to the nearest hospital as no freaken doctor will treat me as i am covid positive patient. I could to Kulsoom because its the best reputated hospital for covid in Pindi/Islamabad. I am from the middle class and know this gonna be expensive.

The emergency doctor gets an xray and i have pneumonia in my lungs. I get the test dosage and alright for the night, i come back home and my ER doctor asks me to visit the pulmonologist in the morning.

I arrive in the morning the Doc gives me all these medicines which are about to cost me 1 lakh and 10 thousand plus test that will cost Rs. 10 k.

Now here is the thing. I i get my meds, they are all drips. I decide I will go back to my locality and get the local doctor there to set up the IV drips. I cant get back to my town, go to the doctor and his attendant doesnt allow me to enter cause i have covid. He though i bought my own meds they wont set up the IV drip.

I go to the nearest Fouji Foundation, same thing. The nurse won't allow me to have my drips in their ER as i am covid patient. Than i had to go to check from relatives and they told me about reliance and CMH that allowed this. At CMH you need the senior docs permission and pay Rs.1000 detention. At reliance hopsital they charge Rs.1000 per hour for the drips.

I have to get my drips twice, one in the morning and the second at night.

I am 26 years old and this is the ordeal i have to face. After our fees were paid, the govt decided to convert the UNI back to online classes.

What really makes me angry is that any health care worker can get the Covid vaccine for free currently, and yet they won't treat you, see the hypocrisy?

And than there are also the fraudias. My friend and his family are rich, they got themselves vaccinated by showing themselves as Health Care workers, when they are not. My friend is gullable he had no idea his father used resources for the vaccine, he thinks everyone could get it. He's 22 years old and he has been vaccinated before anyone, and he is an accounting student.

This is the situation I had to face. 26 years old and thats the cost. Older people have it worst

 

[MenInG]

Fears of a third wave being more lethal came true on Saturday as Pakistan’s coronavirus positivity ratio closed in on 10%.

As per the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), Pakistan carried out 40,946 tests in the last 24 hours out of which 3,876 returned positive, taking the national positivity ratio to 9.46%.

With the new cases, the total number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan reached 623,135 and the active cases in the country stand at 27,188.

A breakdown of the total cases showed that 262,796 cases have been detected in Sindh, 195,087 cases in Punjab, 78,653 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 19,306 in Balochistan, 50,843 in Islamabad, 4,967 in Gilgit Baltistan, 11,483 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

In the last 24 hours, the country lost 42 people to the deadly virus, taking the nationwide death tally to 13,799.

So far, 579,760 have recovered from the coronavirus after testing positive.

The surge in the positivity cases has alarm bells ringing in the country, as a day earlier Pakistan positivity rate stood close to 8%.

NCOC concerned over SOP violations

Earlier this week, the NCOC had communicated deep concerns regarding the rising disease trend and mortality rate in the country.

The forum was briefed that almost all major cities have crossed 5% positivity.

Provincial administrations have been asked to take immediate actions for the strict implementation of SOPs.

Serious concern was shown on the general disregard of SOPs by the masses. Mass violations of SOPs and disrespect of orders including not wearing of a mask, disregard of social distancing are widely reported.

The coronavirus monitoring body appealed to citizens to once again display a good example of social behavior and follow the SOPs in letter and spirit.

It was also decided that COVID-19 vaccination centres across the country will remain closed on Sundays and national holidays.

GEO

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan reports highest number of daily cases since July

Pakistan has reported 3,876 over the past 24 hours — the highest since July last year. The last time the country reported more cases than this was on July 2, 2020, when 4,432 cases were recorded.

Following is a breakdown of the number of cases reported in each province and federal territories over the past 24 hours, according to official data:

Sindh: 293

Punjab: 2,033

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 681

Balochistan: 16

Islamabad: 747

Azad Jammu and Kashmir: 106

The country's caseload has risen sharply in the last two weeks, with data suggesting an almost 50 per cent increase in daily cases week over week.

The positivity rate is hovering at the brink of double digits (9.5pc), the highest it has been since July, when Pakistan was in the throes of its first virus wave — so far its deadliest.

 

[MenInG]

Passengers belonging to countries severely affected by coronavirus have been barred from travelling to Pakistan, Geo News reported on Sunday.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) notification regarding coronavirus, these new orders will take effect from March 23 to April 5.

The category C countries include Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia. Passengers from these countries will not be allowed to enter Pakistan owing to the rising number of coronavirus cases there.

The CAA's directives state that passengers of 20 countries included in category A will be exempt from coronavirus tests. Countries part of this list include Australia, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, New Zealand, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea.

Read more: Travel restrictions for visitors to Pakistan extended till March 14: CAA

According to the statement, coronavirus tests have been made mandatory for passengers of category B countries, 72 hours before arrival in Pakistan.

The CAA order states that the United Kingdom (UK) has been removed from category C and added to category B, while other countries are still on the list.

The country is currently battling the third wave of coronavirus which is said to be more lethal and hazardous by health experts.

Pakistan's coronavirus positivity rate stands at 8.7% with 3,677 new coronavirus cases reported across the country during the past 24 hours.

GEO

 

[MenInG]

 

[cricketjoshila]

Why is pakistan not ramping up the tests?

 

[Saj]

Numbers increasing, but it seems the population is still carefree.

Spoke with a friend earlier today - "we've just come back from a wedding where there were over 400 guests".

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Numbers increasing, but it seems the population is still carefree.

Spoke with a friend earlier today - "we've just come back from a wedding where there were over 400 guests".

Lockdown is only as good as enforcement. If there are weddings with 400 guests attending, it would seem neither is the message getting through, nor are the authorities taking it seriously enough. Maybe there's the attitude that the country can't afford lockdown so might as well just let it blow through the population and pick up the pieces afterwards.

 

[King-Misbah]

Why is pakistan not ramping up the tests?

They are going for herd immunity and vaccination.

 

[Major]

Why is pakistan not ramping up the tests?

Covid tests?

They are not afforable here.

Its costs about Rs. 7000. If you search around hard than you might find someone offering it for Rs. 5000.

No one wants to spend money on the PCR test.

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) chief and Minister for Planning on Monday Asad Umar revealed that it has been decided to increase restrictions on activities contributing to a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases.

“The provincial and ICT administration were also directed to tighten implementation of SOPs and crackdown on violations which are taking place,” the minister said in a tweet after a meeting of the forum.

The NCOC met today to take major decisions aimed at containing the unabated spread of coronavirus pandemic, as the third wave of the disease intensified.

Pakistan reported 3,669 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 630,471.

The country's death toll climbed to 13,863 after 20 people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 1,686 patients recovered from the virus in a day taking total recoveries to 583,538.

Earlier, it was reported that the NCOC would also consider a proposal to close schools that were open for examinations. “Violations of the SOPs [standard operating procedures] are being reported in most of the schools, where examinations are being conducted,” said a source.

Another proposal that was to be discussed in the NCOC pertained to the shopkeepers not complying with the (SOPs), the source said.

“Under section 188 [of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC)], shopkeepers in Islamabad who do not comply with SOPs will be arrested,” the source added.

Many shops in Islamabad’s Aabpara area were closed on March 21. Some shopkeepers were also detained for not implementing the SOPs at their shops. However, the NCOC is likely to decide what action to be taken in case of violation of the SOPs in the markets.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/229077...-activities-contributing-to-covid-cases-surge

 

[cricketjoshila]

Covid tests?

They are not afforable here.

Its costs about Rs. 7000. If you search around hard than you might find someone offering it for Rs. 5000.

No one wants to spend money on the PCR test.

Considering one can get it done in India for 1000rs, anything more than 2500 is too much in pakistan.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2290984/punjab-govt-announces-amendments-to-covid-19-restrictions

The Punjab government on Tuesday announced amendments to the restrictions earlier announced amid rising coronavirus cases in the province.

According to a notification issued by Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, all agriculture-related establishments and entities are exempted and allowed to operate 24 hours, seven days a week subject to the adoption of Covid-19 SOPs.

All types of indoor dining shall remain banned however, outdoor dining is now permitted till 10pm weekdays only. Takeaways and home delivery are to be allowed too.

Ban on indoor gatherings shall continue to remain in place while outdoor gatherings with the upper limit of 300 people are hereby allowed subject to strict adherence to Covid-19 SOPs. The notification added that there shall also be a complete ban on sports, festivals, cultural and other events.

Regarding amusement parks, the department stated that they would remain closed throughout the province. However, walking/jogging tracks shall remain open subject to strict adherence to Covid-19 SOPs.

All commercial activities, establishments and areas shall be closed by 8pm on weekdays and shall remain completely closed on weekends -- Saturday and Sunday (Friday & Saturday in 18 notified districts), the health department added. However, some particular activities are allowed on a 24 hours basis and seven days a week. They include all medical services and pharmacies, opticians, bakeries along with general or grocery stores, milk, meat and chicken shops.

Tire puncture shops, fruit, vegetable shops, tandoors, flour mills, postal and courier services are also allowed to operate throughout the day.

Whereas driver hotels, petrol pumps, oil depots, LPG outlets and filling plants, agriculture machinery workshops and spare parts shops shall also remain open.

The printing press, call centres (with 50% staff and no public dealing), takeaway/home delivery from restaurants shall remain open as well.

The provincial health department added that all type of marriage and event halls, community centres and marquees shall remain closed and only outdoor marriage functions in open areas shall be allowed till 10pm subject to the upper limit of 300 guests. Maximum event duration would be for two hours with strict adherence of Covid-19 SOPs.

Inter-city public transport shall operate with 50% of capacity whereas rail service shall operate with 70% of capacity.

The department added that this order and all earlier restrictions and exemptions shall continue to remain in force till April 11.

 

[MenInG]

Highest infection rate in the country in last 24 hours was

AJK 14.4%
KP 10.1%
Punjab 9.86%
Islamabad 8.8%

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan's coronavirus positivity ratio shot on Thursday past 10% and the death toll crossed 14,000 as the country battles a third wave of the virus.

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said Pakistan carried out 38,858 tests in the last 24 hours, out of which 3,946 returned positive, taking the national positivity ratio to 10.15%.

With the new cases, the total number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan reached 640,988 and the active cases stand at 37,985.

A breakdown of the total cases showed that 263,815 cases have been detected in Sindh, 205,314 cases in Punjab, 81,787 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 19,395 in Balochistan, 53,684 in Islamabad, 4,977 in Gilgit Baltistan and 12,016 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

In the last 24 hours, the country lost 63 people to the deadly virus, taking the nationwide death tally to 14,028.

So far, 588,975 have recovered from coronavirus after testing positive.

NCOC decides to tighten restrictions amid rising cases
Earlier this week, the NCOC decided to tighten the restrictions given the deteriorating coronavirus situation across the country.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Twitter said: “In the NCOC meeting this morning we decided to increase restrictions of activities contributing to a sharp increase in COVID-19 positivity.”

The local administrations across the country have been directed to tighten the implementation of SOP's and crack down on violations that are taking place, the minister said.

'Pakistan will not go under complete lockdown'
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar had dismissed rumours that the country was heading towards a "complete lockdown".

The NCOC chief was speaking to anchor Shahzad Iqbal on Geo News programme Naya Pakistan on Saturday.

The discussion revolved around the rising number of coronavirus cases and the government's response towards it. Rumours of authorities contemplating a "complete lockdown" across the country were discussed.

Responding to a question, the NCOC chief had shot down the rumours.

"Complete lockdown is not the solution," he said. "We tried to explain that to people during the first wave [of the coronavirus] but they did not understand. You cannot shut down the entire country and steal people's livelihoods," added the minister.

GEO

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan on Thursday recorded the highest single-day #COVID19 infection this year with 3,946 new cases reported in last 24 hours, according to the country's health ministry data

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan on Friday reported at least 4,368 new coronavirus cases during the previous 24-hour period, the highest single-day tally since June 2020.

The new cases have taken the country’s total tally of Covid-19 cases to at least 645,356.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the country's death toll climbed to 14,091 after 63 people succumbed to the deadly disease. Most deaths occurred in Punjab followed by K-P.

Meanwhile, 2,170 patients recovered from the pandemic during the previous day, taking total recoveries to 591,145.

According to NCOC, the total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be at least 40,120.

The highest number of ventilators occupied in the country was found to be in Multan with 65 per cent occupancy, followed by Islamabad at 62 per cent, Gujranwala at 60 per cent and Lahore at 54 per cent,

The NCOC further reported that the highest number of oxygen bed occupancy in the country was in Gujrat at 95 per cent followed by Gujranwala at 85 per cent, Peshawar at 73 per cent and Islamabad at 49 per cent.

Covid-19 related death by province

Out of the 14,091 total reported deaths, there have been about 4,486 deaths in Sindh, 6,142 in Punjab, 2,260 in K-P, 555 in Islamabad.

About 205 deaths were reported in Balochistan, 103 deaths in G-B and 640 in AJK.

The NCOC added that about 42,418 Covid-19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours out of which 8,506 were conducted in Sindh, 17,315 in Punjab, 8,214 in K-P, 6733 in Islamabad, 699 in Balochistan, 314 in G-B and 637 tests were conducted in AJK.

The NCOC also reported that a total of 9,976,791 tests had been conducted since the outbreak of the virus. There are about 631 hospitals with Covid-19 facilities with 3,333 patients admitted across the country, it added.

Earlier on March 22, the NCOC decided to increase restrictions with the implementation of high-impact interventions in cities and districts having a high positivity ratio till April 11 in a bid to curb the rising trend of cases during the ongoing third wave of Covid-19 in the country.

The decisions were taken in a meeting of the NCOC, the nerve centre of the government’s synchronised response to the global pandemic, with Planning Minister Asad Umar in the chair. The provincial chief secretaries also attended the meeting via video link.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2291614/pakistan-reports-another-highest-single-day-covid-19-tally

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

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[Saj]

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar on Saturday warned that Covid-19 cases in the country could soon cross the numbers seen during the first wave of the pandemic.

Addressing the media after chairing a session of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the minister said if the cases increase at the current rate during the next few days or week, the situation would be worse than the peak of the first wave which was witnessed in June last year.

Reiterating that the government's first priority was saving the livelihood of people from the pandemic, Umar said tougher restrictions might be imposed if the current trend continues in the country.

"Our first effort is this (protection of livelihoods) but you're seeing the speed with which this is continuing to spread. If we don't take immediate measures then such a situation can also develop that we have to increase restrictions."

The country is experiencing its third Covid-19 wave – fuelled by the UK variant of the virus – and recorded more than 4,300 cases during the previous 24-hr period.

"The Covid situation which is taking shape is becoming very dangerous," said the head of the NCOC.

Umar further said that the third wave was being fuelled by the virus' UK strain which is more transmissible and said that data from other countries in the region also points to this fact.

He added that during a review of the SOPs and measures to curb the spread of the disease by the NCOC, it was found that instructions and SOPs are not being followed as they should have been.

"It is my request to the political leadership, ours and the opposition's, to spread the message that Pakistan once again needs to combat the disease and defend our people."

Adding that the people of the country have already shown once before that they could successfully combat the pandemic, he urged all sections of the society to play their role in following SOPs and spreading the message.

The regions of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Punjab have in recent days reported a sharp rise in the number of Covid-19 cases. The UK strain of the virus – reportedly more lethal as well – is sweeping across these areas as the country grapples with the third wave of the pandemic.

A clinical investigation, published on March 11 in “Journal of Medical Virology”, showed that SARS-CoV-2/B117 – the UK variant – is spreading fast in Pakistan and variably reacting against the immunity gained by recovered persons from the previous infection in the country and across the globe.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2291757/pakistan-may-cross-first-covid-19-wave-numbers-warns-asad-umar

 

[MenInG]

LAHORE: There is no let up in the spread of novel coronavirus, as its positivity rate in the Punjab remained over 14 percent for the third consecutive day, while this rate surged to about 20 percent in Lahore spreading alarm among the health authorities apart from putting burden on health facilities.

Sources in the Primary & Secondary Healthcare Department said that public sector hospitals of the province have been put on high alert after intensification of the third wave of coronavirus. The administration of teaching hospitals, have been asked to keep offices open all week and ensure availability of essential staff even on Sunday. In Lahore, 1233 fresh Covid-19 cases and 20 deaths were reported during the last 24 hours. Out of 16,473 Covid-19 tests conducted during the last 24 hours, as many as 2330 fresh virus cases and 48 fatalities were reported across the province taking the provincial tally of virus cases to 210,095 and death toll to 6188.

With the recovery of 1245 more virus patients, the number of recovered patients in the province has reached to 182,596.

As per breakup of corona cases and deaths in major cities of the province, Lahore has so far reported 110654 cases and 2530 deaths, Rawalpindi 17364 cases and 981 deaths, Faisalabad 12542 cases and 597 deaths, Multan 10262 cases and 419 deaths, D G Khan 2428 cases and 66 deaths, Bahawalpur 4620 cases and 157 deaths, Gujranwala 5686 cases and 165 deaths, Gujrat 5746 cases and 94 deaths, Rahim Yar Khan 2975 cases and 147 deaths, Sialkot 4949 cases and 183 deaths and Sargodha reported 4034 cases and 160 deaths.

Health professionals expressed concern over the current wave of the virus and called for immediate steps to stop the spread of virus. They said the situation was turning alarming at a few public sector hospitals where coronavirus patients were facing multiple issues.

Mayo Hospital Medical Superintendent admitted that the administration was struggling to meet the requirements of Covid-19 patients. Being one of the major teaching institutes, his hospital was sharing a major burden of patients as the number of cases was increasing with each passing day, he said, adding: "Doctors, nurses and paramedical staff are discharging Covid-19 duties round the clock to ensure best available services to patients of the virus."

Former Pakistan Cricket team captain Wasim Akram has expressed concern over surge in corona cases and called on authorities to hit two slaps to the people not following the coronavirus Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

In a message, Akram hoped that the people from Pakistan and across the world will be in good health in these testing times. "I had read and seen that coronavirus cases were rising in Punjab, especially in his city Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi; please follow the SOPs. Why are you so stubborn," Akram asked his fellow Pakistanis.

The former fast bowler said that there was also a "plan B" in place for those not following the SOPs. "Plan B" is that the violators should be given two slaps as the people would never understand in a normal way, he said.

Moreover, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired a high-level meeting through video link from Multan to review the recent corona pandemic wave and preventive measures taken in this regard.

The meeting expressed deep concern over the persistent surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in Punjab. The CM directed to follow corona SOPs strictly and warned the no negligence will be tolerated in the implementation of anti-Corona SOPs. He directed the administration and police to ensure the implementation of SOPs to protect the lives of the citizens. All precautions measures should be adopted in this regard, adding that the third dangerous wave of coronavirus can only be controlled with public support.

The meeting was further informed that the numbers of active corona patients have reached 21311 in Punjab.

After NCOC's video link meeting, the CM paid a surprise visit to the Corona Vaccination Center in Mohallah Ameerabad Multan and inspected the facilities being provided to senior citizens in the centre. He inquired after elderly people who came for vaccination in the centre. An aged woman gave blessing to the CM for the best arrangements in the centre. Talking to the CM, the senior citizens were of the view that the Punjab government under his leadership has made the best arrangements for vaccination. They also lauded the role of the staff of the vaccination centre and said that they are fully cooperative and provide guidance at every level.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan's Covid-19 spike continues as country reports more than 4,500 new cases
Pakistan has recorded more than 4,000 cases for a third straight day with 4,767 new coronavirus cases and 57 deaths in the last 24 hours

This marks the highest single-day increase since June 21, 2020, according to data collected by Dawn.com, when 4,916 cases were reported.

The country-wide breakdown of new cases is as follows:

Punjab: 2,823
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 979
Islamabad: 538
Sindh: 252
Azad Jammu and Kashmir: 122
Balochistan: 44
Gilgit Baltistan: 9

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2291921/indoor-outdoor-gatherings-banned-with-immediate-effect-ncoc?_gl=1*1aaaku*_ga*YW1wLWVaa0lBOG0wRk1ybGE2QjVVUXd1TUs5X2RoMWxwd2RCMHZFeS1HVnpTSTdlOXdJV19VSmJRbzRROVktUFZYUlI

As the third wave of Covid-19 continued to rage across the country, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) following a meeting held on Sunday announced that all kinds of gatherings, indoor as well as outdoor, have been banned with immediate effect.

This includes all social, cultural, political, sports and other events, the guidelines further stated.

As per a statement released by the country's Covid nerve centre, "Under the guidelines of the recent session, NCOC will provide updated hotspot maps to provinces for enforcement of expanded lockdowns with effect from 29th March 21."

Moreover, there will be a complete ban on marriages, both indoor and outdoor, from April 5 onwards. However, provinces will be at liberty to implement restrictions in early time frame as per the situation on ground.

The NCOC meeting also discussed various options for reducing inter-provincial transport. However, a final decision will be taken based on the input from provinces and analysis of data regarding number of inter-provincial commuters via air, rail and road.

The meeting further discussed provinces ensuring that vaccination targets given by the NCOC were timely met. "Correct and timely data ingestion in NIMS be ensured by all provinces," the guidelines read.

The meeting was chaired by NCOC chief and Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, and was attended by chief secretaries of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan via video link.

Posting an update on Twitter regarding the meeting, Umar said, "Held ncoc meeting today with provincial chief secretaries & reviewed the situation. Based on continuing increase in disease spread & fast pace at which hospital fill up is taking place, particularly critical covid patients, decided to further tighten restrictions."

He added that chief secretaries had been advised to ensure strict compliance of the SOPs, urging people to "cooperate with the administration as they are enforcing these SOP's for safeguarding us."


Pakistan's Covid-19 cases reached a nine-month high the past week with over 4,500 cases being reported consecutively.

About two weeks ago, Umar, in an interview to a private TV channel, had confirmed that the third wave of Covid-19 had started in Pakistan. He had attributed the rising number of cases to the virus' UK strain.

As per the data updated by the NCOC today, Pakistan's tally for confirmed cases has reached 654,591, with at least 4,767 cases being reported only a day ago.

Moreover, the country's death toll has now stands at 14,215 after it recorded 57 deaths in the last 24 hours.

The country still has 3,043 patients in a critical condition. As per the Covid portal, a total of 595,929 patients have recovered from the virus in Pakistan so far.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: The third wave of the coronavirus continues to ring alarm bells for Pakistan as 4,767 new cases of the virus were reported across the country on Sunday in a single day.

Fifty-seven more people died from the virus while 4,767 more contracted the disease on Saturday, according to figures obtained from the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

Pakistan tested 45,656 people in total for the infection on Saturday. The positivity ratio in the country has climbed to 10.4%.

Several areas of the country have taken precautionary steps as the third wave of the virus continues to grip the country. Schools in Punjab, KP and some other cities remain closed till April 11 as the government attempts to stem the spread of the virus.

Coronavirus cases in Pakistan hit eight-month high as 3rd wave intensifies
On Friday, coronavirus cases across the country hit an eight-month high as Pakistan reported over 4,000 cases of the virus for the first time since July 3, 2020.

The last time Pakistan reported over 4,000 cases was on July 3 when 4,087 people were diagnosed with the virus.

A day earlier, NCOC chief and Federal Minister Asad Umar had warned of tough decisions if the coronavirus situation doesn’t improve.

During a media briefing after a key NCOC meeting on Saturday to review the alarming rise in coronavirus cases in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad Capital Territory, the federal minister had said that the restrictions were increased two weeks ago due to the deteriorating coronavirus situation.

He had said the pandemic was spreading rapidly not only in Pakistan, but across the world – especially in neighbouring countries like India and Bangladesh.

GEO

 

[MenInG]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2291921/indoor-outdoor-gatherings-banned-with-immediate-effect-ncoc?_gl=1*1aaaku*_ga*YW1wLWVaa0lBOG0wRk1ybGE2QjVVUXd1TUs5X2RoMWxwd2RCMHZFeS1HVnpTSTdlOXdJV19VSmJRbzRROVktUFZYUlI

 

[MenInG]

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan on Sunday said that the current wave of Covid-19 in Pakistan has the potential to be worse than the first one which struck the country in the summer of 2020.

Pakistan's Covid-19 cases reached a nine-month high the past week with over 4,500 cases being reported consecutively.

About two weeks ago, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, in an interview with a private TV channel, had confirmed that the third wave of Covid-19 had started in Pakistan. He had attributed the rising number of cases to the virus' UK strain.

"Covid-19’s current wave has potential to be worse than the first one in the summer of 2020. No time for complacency or visiting crowded places of any kind. Wear masks and educate those around you," Sultan wrote on his official Twitter handle.

"If your vaccination process has been completed you can get your Covid Immunisation Certificate from https://nims.nadra.gov.pk or from NADRA Mega Centres," he said in another tweet.

He asked the masses to ensure that the vaccination staff enters details in NIMS when getting vaccine.

"Check your vaccination status by sending CNIC to 1166," he further said.

Earlier today, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), following a meeting held on Sunday, announced that all kinds of gatherings — indoor as well as outdoor — have been banned with immediate effect.

This includes all social, cultural, political, sports and other events, the guidelines further stated.

The country's nerve centre dealing with the pandemic said in a statement, "Under the guidelines of the recent session, NCOC will provide updated hotspot maps to provinces for enforcement of expanded lockdowns with effect from 29th March 21."

Moreover, there will be a complete ban on weddings, both indoor and outdoor, from April 5 onwards. However, provinces will be at liberty to implement restrictions in early time frame as per the situation on ground.

As per the data updated by the NCOC today, Pakistan's tally for confirmed cases has reached 654,591, with at least 4,767 cases being reported only a day ago.

Moreover, the country's death toll now stands at 14,215 after it recorded 57 deaths in the last 24 hours.

The country still has 3,043 patients in critical condition. As per the Covid portal, a total of 595,929 patients have recovered from the virus in Pakistan so far.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: The third wave of the coronavirus is showing no signs of abating as the coronavirus positivity ratio crossed 11% on Monday.

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data showed that 40,369 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours out of which 4,525 returned positive, taking the national positivity ratio to 11.21%.

The number of new cases take the national tally of positive coronavirus cases to 659,116. Out of those 264,889 have been reported in Sindh, 215,227 in Punjab, 85,531 in KP, 56,450 in the federal capital, 19,525 in Balochistan, 12,484 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 5,010 in Gilgit Baltistan.

The total active COVID-19 cases in Pakistan are 46,663 while 598,197 have recovered from the virus.

Pakistan also lost 41 people to the coronavirus with the most deaths occurring in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last 24 hours.

The new deaths took the countrywide death toll to 14,256. Out of which 6,246 have died in Punjab, 4,491 in Sindh, 2,301 in KP, 561 in Islamabad, 206 in Balochistan, 348 in AJK and 103 in GB.

19 districts with high positivity
The NCOC on Monday also identified 19 districts of the country that have a high positivity ratio.

The identified districts were Swat (23%), Peshawar (22%), Nowshehra (19%), Lahore (17%), Rawalpindi (15%), Faisalabad (15%), Sargodha (12%), Sialkot (12%), Malakand (12%), Swabi (12%), Multan (12%), Mandi Bahauddin (11%), Gujranwala (10%), Okara (9%), Rahim Yar Khan (9%), Toba Tek Singh (9%), Bahawalpur (8%), Dir Lower (8%), Gujrat (7%).

Read more: Private schools threaten long march on March 31 over closure

Complete ban on wedding functions from April 5 onwards
Amid the rising cases, the NCOC on Sunday announced a complete ban on holding wedding functions — both indoor and outdoor — starting April 5, in areas that have a three-day rolling average of an 8% positivity ratio.

The coronavirus monitoring body took the decisions in a meeting held on Sunday.

The meeting was chaired by Federal Minister of Planning and Development Asad Umar, whereas, chief ministers of all four provinces attended it via video link.

The NCOC announced a "complete ban on marriages (including indoor and outdoor) from 5th April onwards".

"However, provinces will be at liberty to implement restrictions in early time frame as per the situation on ground," read the NCOC statement.

The NCOC said that the government is also mulling the prospects of more restrictions on inter-provincial travelling. "Various options for reduction of inter-provincial transport were considered," said the statement.

However, the final decision will be taken based on the input from all provinces and an analysis of the data about the number of inter-provincial commuters via air, rail and road, said the NCOC.

On the imposition of more smart lockdowns, the NCOC said it will provide updated hotspot maps to provinces for enforcement of expanded lockdowns, with effect from March 29, 2021.

Read more: Coronavirus cases in Pakistan hit eight-month high as 3rd wave intensifies

It also directed provinces to ensure vaccination targets given to them are being met in a timely manner.

"Correct and timely data ingestion in NIMS be ensured by all provinces," it added.

GEO

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1615421/26-cities-record-over-8pc-positivity-rate

With President Dr Arif Alvi and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak joining the list of dignitaries having contracted Covid-19, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Monday identified 26 cities with over eight per cent positivity ratio.

On the other hand, an age and gender distribution chart showed that people in the age group of 20 to 40 years were the most affected by Covid-19, but the highest rate of casualty was among patients in the age bracket of 60 to 70 years.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, meanwhile, urged provinces to procure vaccines.

President Alvi had confirmed his diagnosis through a tweet, saying: “I have tested positive for Covid-19. May Allah have mercy on all Covid affectees. Had 1st dose of vaccine, but antibodies start developing after 2nd dose that was due in a week. Please continue to be careful.”

Similarly, according to media reports, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak was also found to be infected by the virus.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail had also announced that Defence Minister Pervez Khattak had been infected by the virus.

In a tweet, Governor Ismail said: “Perwaiz Khatak is diagnosed with Covid positive. Get well soon PK.”

It may be mentioned here that Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi had also tested positive over a week ago.

Meanwhile, the NCOC on Monday revealed that 26 cities had a positivity rate of over 8pc. They are Islamabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Gujrat, Bahawalpur, Toba Tek Singh, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Multan, Okara, Rahimyar Khan, Peshawar, Swat, Nowshera, Dir Lower, Malakand, Swabi, Charsadda, Haripur, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur and Kotli.

On March 28, the NCOC had imposed ban on all kinds of gatherings and wedding ceremonies in cities where the infection rate was more than 8pc. The centre had also suggested reduction in transportation between provinces and advised the provincial governments to expedite vaccination against the deadly virus.

The NCOC data showed that 4,525 cases and 41 deaths were reported in a single day while 387 ventilators were in use. The highest number of vents was occupied in Multan where the percentage was 67pc, Islamabad, 64pc; Gujranwala, 60pc and Lahore, 52pc. The data on oxygenated beds showed that Gujranwala had an 85pc occupancy rate, Peshawar, 78pc; Swat, 73pc and Gujrat, 70pc beds.

The number of active cases was 46,663 while 3,648 patients were admitted to hospitals across the country on Monday.

On the other hand, Dr Faisal Sultan on Monday advised provinces to procure vaccine.

“The Fed govt has procured & will continue to procure COVID vaccine for all Pakistanis. At the same time, there is no 'NOC' requirement (or any NOC pending) or bar for any provincial govt to procure any reg’d vaccine if they are able to. Any facilitation needed will be provided,” the special assistant tweeted.

It is worth mentioning here that Prime Minister Khan had revealed on March 28 that it was getting difficult to arrange vaccines due to shortage in countries producing the doses.

Meanwhile, Polyclinic, one of the major hospitals of Islamabad, was facing shortage of staff after a large number of healthcare workers got infected by the virus.

According to hospital sources, around 200 doctors, nurses and paramedics have been infected and sent to quarantine.

According to a document of the NCOC, available with Dawn, people in the age group of 20 to 40 years and 60 to 70 years were most vulnerable to Covid-19.

In the 20 to 40 years age bracket, the infection rate was high as 183,427 males, 91,035 females and nine from the transgender community contracted the virus. The data on deaths showed that 2,750 males, 1,301 females and one person from the transgender community in the 60-70 age group had succumbed to the virus.

According to the overall data on casualties, 9,550 males, 4,703 females and three members of the transgender community had fallen victim to Covid-19. A total of 9,149 had co-morbidity which meant they were suffering from more than one major disease.

The data also showed that 91pc of the deceased had remained hospitalised. Though the average duration of admission was 6.5 days, patients spent a time period ranging from one to 107 days in hospitals. Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 55pc were on ventilators, spending an average time period of 3.5 days. The data further revealed that patients remained on vent from one to 40 days.

Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar has written a letter to provinces, suggesting them to implement non-pharmaceutical interventions.

“As you know, the current wave of Covid-19 is spreading at an exponential pace and positivity ratio across the country is rising at an alarming rate. NCOC in consultation with federating units is keeping a close watch on the situation and correspondingly, data driven decisions are being made in order to reduce the spread of the disease,” he said.

 

[Last Monetarist]

Sindh govt has announced new COVID restrictions.

- 6 AM to 8 PM market hours
- Ban on indoor dining
- Outdoor dining timing until 10 PM
- Ban on indoor and outdoor weddings from 6th April
- Ban on all events and gatherings

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan reports highest number of Covid-19 cases since June

Pakistan has reported 4,974 coronavirus cases and 98 deaths during the last 24 hours. This is the highest number of daily infections reported since June 20, 2020, when 5,948 cases were reported.

According to available data, the current positivity ratio is 9.9 per cent while active cases are 53,127.

Region-wise breakdown of cases and deaths reported on March 31:

Punjab: 2,789 cases, 62 deaths
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 1,044 cases, 21 deaths
Islamabad: 724 cases, 4 deaths
Sindh: 247 cases, 5 deaths
Azad Jammu and Kashmir: 142 cases, 3 deaths
Balochistan: 19 cases, 1 death
Gilgit-Baltistan: 9 cases

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2292716/sindh-will-impose-inter-city-transport-ban-if-centre-doesnt-says-murad

Amid a rapid rise in coronavirus cases — fuelled by the more contagious and potentially deadlier UK variant — Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has said the provincial government will impose a ban on inter-city transport movement "if the federal government did not consider the request".

“I am not advocating a lockdown, I just want a ban on inter-city bus transport service... the goods transport will keep functioning as usual," he said while speaking to the media after inaugurating `Sindh Institute of Animal Health’ in Karachi's Korangi on Thursday.

The Sindh CM said that he had given the proposal to the Centre in order to break the spike in Covid-19 cases during a meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

Murad was of the view that Sindh had fewer cases because of the provincial government's timely and preventive measures in past to deal with coronavirus. "We are going to convene a provincial task force meeting what to do in this situation [regarding coronavirus]," he added.

He said that another proposal he gave to the federal government was to open registration for Covid-19 vaccination so that the number of willing people could be assessed for placing the order for procurement. “When we do not know how many people want to get vaccinated, how will we be able to place the order,” he questioned.

To another question, the chief minister said that he had held a meeting with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to rehabilitate Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad. “I am still of the opinion that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and international cricket matches must be organised in Hyderabad and we are working on it,” he said, adding that due to the Covid situation the implementation of the proposal got delayed.

When asked about media reports regarding differences with Sindh police chief, the chief minister brushed aside the impression, saying that the home department through a letter pointed out procedural requirements. “I never develop differences with the IGP and it was another [provincial] government where six IGPs were changed within six months.”

To another question about the rotation policy of transfer and posting launched by the Centre, Murad said that there were 16 posts of grade **-21 officers of the federal government in Sindh against which only six officers are working.

“These 16 officers of grade **-21 have been promoted against their quota in Sindh but they have been posted somewhere else,” he said and added under such circumstances the provincial government has to post officers on Own Pay and Scale (OPS).

Murad also urged the Centre to send senior officers to Sindh for the smooth working of the government.

 

[Major]

Govt still doesnt care.

Outdoor dining is a fraud. There are restaurants that removed their windows to pretend like they are providing outdoor dining.

More vaccines need to be procured with proper price being set.

People just dont give a rats behind here. My extended family held a party due to someone getting a promotion. There relatives came form Lahore had covid (found out later). My cousin and her mother as a result caught the virus aswell and now they are crying.

Point being, no one wants to follow SOPs or take precaution. They all start whining after it happens.

 

[MenInG]

The British government on Friday announced that Pakistan would be added to the country's 'red' list' of travel restrictions due to a surge in Covid-19 cases.

“Red listing means that only UK, Irish nationals and those with residency rights in the UK will be allowed to travel to the UK if they have been in Pakistan in the 10 days before they arrive," said British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner in a video message.

He added that the travellers would have to pay to stay in mandatory hotel quarantine for 10 days after arrival in the UK.

This measure will come into effect in a weeks’ time at 4am on Friday, April 9, he further said.

“Direct flights will continue to operate between the two countries but schedules could change so please check with your airline before you travel,” the high commissioner said.

“I know how unwelcoming this news will be for all of you and for so many in the British Pakistani community that is the bedrock of our strong relationship. You can find more updates on these changes on our 'Travel Advice' pages including details of what you need to do now if this affects you and how to book quarantine hotels which you must do before you travel."

Please stay safe, stay well and keep following Covid-19 SOPs in these difficult times, the British high commissioner concluded.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2292892/pakistan-to-be-added-to-uks-red-list-as-covid-19-cases-soar

 

[LongHorn]

So UK puts Pakistan and Bangladesh on the red list leaving out India...

Just yesterday Bangladesh banned people from all of Europe except the UK

And also banned people from Kuwait and Qatar inexplicably


Same thing happened between UK and UAE

Dubai established a travel corridor with the UK in November, the UK repaid by putting UAE on a red list

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2292917/ncoc-dismisses-reports-of-higher-covid-19-ratio-among-children-in-third-wave

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday clarified that there is no deviation in Pakistan's Covid-19 positivity ratio in children as compared to previous waves.

The nerve centre of the government's unified efforts to stem Covid-19 spread reviewed the alleged spike in the rate of reported cases in children. "During all three waves, infection ratio in children aged between 1-10 years remained at around 3% of total cases," NCOC said on its official Twitter handle. As per the NCOC report, 136 children and youngsters aged 11-20 have succumbed to the virus whereas 359 people aged between 21 and 30 have also died of the contagion.

It said that 769 persons aged 31-41 have died whereas 1,853 lives of people aged 41-50 have been lost. 3,666 people aged 51-60 years have died of Covid-19. 4,131 people aged between 61 and 70 died due to coronavirus which is the highest number of deaths in any age group. According to NCOC, 2,604 people aged 71-80 succumbed to the deadly virus.

The report said that 856 patients aged between 81 to 90 years died while 118 people over the age of 90 also passed away after contracting Covid-19.

NCOC said that 6,427 people have died in Punjab, 4,502 in Sindh, 2,363 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), 572 in Islamabad, 355 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), 209 in Balochistan and 103 succumbed to Covid-19 in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B).

NCOC further said that 78 per cent of the deceased were suffering from some underlying condition.

Meanwhile, in the morning session headed by NCOC chief Asad Umar and co-chaired by National Coordinator Lieutenant General Hamood Uz Zaman Khan, the forum asked the provinces to pursue vaccination targets vigorously. The forum was informed that one million Sinopharm vaccines purchased by Pakistan have been received and distributed amongst all federating units.

It expressed concerns over non implementation of NCOC instructions on adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) on wearing of masks, social distancing and commercial timings.

It was also decided that senior citizens over 65 years can walk in to designated vaccination centres for administering doses through on-spot registration facility.

 

[Saj]

The Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya, and Bangladesh have been added to England's Covid-19 "red list", the Department of Transport has said.

The countries have been added to England’s so-called red list amid concerns about new Covid-19 variants, such as those first identified in South Africa and Brazil.

This means that from 4am on Friday April 9, international visitors who have departed from or transited through those four countries in the previous 10 days will be refused entry into England.

However, British and Irish citizens and those with residence rights (including long-term visa holders) in the UK will be allowed to enter but they will have to arrive at a designated port and then adhere to the UK government's hotel quarantine rules for 10 days.

No direct flight bans from the countries will be put in place but passengers are being advised to check their travel plans before departing for England.

During their stay, passengers will be required to take a coronavirus test on or before day two and on or after day eight, and they will not be allowed to shorten their quarantine period on receipt of a negative test result.

More than 70 MPs, including 40 Conservatives, as well as peers from the House of Lords, have launched a campaign to oppose the move which they say would be "divisive and discriminatory".

A pledge, signed by Mr Corbyn as well as other prominent figures such as Conservative former leader Sir Iain Duncan-Smith, Labour former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and ex-Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, warned the Government against bringing in the scheme.

It has also been backed by a string of Tory former ministers including Esther McVey, Nus Ghani, Mark Harper and Harriett Baldwin.

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-04-02...ngladesh-added-to-governments-travel-red-list

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan reports 4,723 new coronavirus cases, 84 deaths

Pakistan reported 4,732 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, taking the country's Covid-19 tally to 682,888.

The country's death toll climbed to 14,697 after 84 people succumbed to the deadly disease.

Meanwhile, 2,486 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 609,691.

According to NCOC, total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 58,500.