ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday, taking notice of the detection of highly-infectious sub-variant of Omicron virus, directed the restoration of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). The prime minister ordered immediate restoration of the NCOC after the country a day earlier had reported its first case of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1. He also sought a report from the Ministry of National Health on the current situation of the virus in the country. The National Institute of Health (NIH), had detected a case of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1 through genome sequencing and reported that the new sub-variant was causing an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in different countries. The NIH advised people to take the best preventive measure to avoid contracting the virus, which is vaccination against it. Former prime minister Imran Khan had formally shut down the NCOC in April on a reduced number of COVID-19 cases. The NCOC during the pandemic was tasked to oversee the government’s pandemic response and keep the nation updated on daily cases, deaths, recoveries, number of vaccinations, etc.