Virus to spread further if people keep ignoring SOPs, NCOC told

Author: Agencies

The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) was informed on Monday that noncompliance of mask wearing and social distancing may give rise to disease spread.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar chaired the NCOC daily situational brief. Asad Umar said that monitoring of disease prevalence and containment measures were important. “Wearing of facemasks is the key to control disease spread.”

Asad Umar said winter spike could be avoided with standard operating procedures (SOPs) compliance. He noted that marriage halls and restaurants were turning into major centers for disease spread. The NCOC also appreciated education sector for their efforts in adherence to follow health guidelines and protocols.

Meanwhile, the total active COVID-19 cases in Pakistan on Monday were recorded at 8,907 as 644 more people tested positive for the deadly virus during the last 24 hours.

Four corona patients, who were under treatment in hospital, died on Sunday, according to the latest update issued by the National command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

No COVID affected person was on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Balochistan, while 88 ventilators elsewhere in Pakistan, out of 1,912 allocated for COVID-19 patients, were occupied.

Some 29,565 tests were conducted across the country on Sunday, including 10,813 in Sindh, 9,325 in Punjab, 3,844 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 3,053 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 1,475 in Balochistan, 510 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and 545 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Meanwhile, the Karachi administration has cracked down on those violating SOPs. The district administration has moved against restaurants, marriage halls, markets and shops found violating SOPs. Depending on the extent of violations, the businesses have either been warned, fined or even sealed.

The crackdown by the city administration, since Sept 30, came in order to curb the reemergence of COVID-19 numbers and it is parallel to the micro-smart lockdown imposed by the government in particular zones, areas where the number of cases has risen.