By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Setting off serious alarms for the first time since the new Covid variant’s outbreak in Pakistan, the country’s top health official on Monday appealed to the people to not to let their precautionary guard down in any way to save themselves as well as others from the pandemic.
“The government is concerned over the increase in the hospitalisation and positivity rate over the last few days,” said Abdul Qadir Patel, Minister for Health, addressing a media briefing here.
“Our average [Covid] deaths [rate[ is between 1.5 percent, while the average number of patients on ventilators is five.”
Officials have warned that lack of testing is distorting the Covid data, while people have started taking the new Covid (Omicron variant) as a common cold.
He said that most of the infections were of the new Omicron sub-variant BA.5 — “which spreads at a faster rate”.
“The NCOC (National Command and Operation Centre) is monitoring cases vigilantly and we are prepared for any scenario,” the minister assured.
In the wake of a resurgence in Covid cases across the country, the government fully activated the NCOC guidelines to contain the spread of infections.
He went on to say that all the provinces had been instructed to set up isolation centres and the National Disaster Management Authority had also been engaged in this regard.
Patel said the government was mulling rolling out mass testing, particularly in major cities such as Karachi.
On the virus upswell in Karachi, Patel said the positivity rate had slipped in the last few days, adding that it was not the “right time” for smart lockdowns.
Patel said the government was weighing launching a mass testing drive, particularly in major cities such as Karachi. “But we have seen that there is still a lack of awareness among the people,” he observed.
The minister further highlighted that two religious events, Eidul Azha and Muharram, were around the corner during which cases were expected to spike.
He urged the public to stay indoors during the Eid holidays.
Pakistan on Monday recorded 675 fresh coronavirus cases as the national positivity rate reached 4.61 percent.
Official data from the National Institute of Health showed that two people succumbed to the virus in the last 24 hours. A total of 14,632 tests were conducted in this time period, while 153 patients were under critical care.
Earlier, the government had made masks mandatory in all closed spaces and requested people to avoid hugging or shaking hands with people during the festivities. Further, the Civil Aviation Authority also made wearing face masks mandatory on domestic flights.
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