FEARS of a third wave being more fatal and lethal came true on Saturday as country’s Coronavirus positivity ratio closed in on 10 %.
The news of Prime Minister Imran Khan and his spouse testing positive for Covid-19, was a reminder that the virus can hit any person and home without any distinction.
Undoubtedly, there has been a significant increase in daily cases of the virus over last few days and if these are not checked, consequences could be dire as our existing health facilities are neither adequate nor well equipped to cope with alarming number of cases.
The doubling of positivity ratio in the last few days clearly indicates that people have stopped observing virus related health guidelines.
They are no longer taking the SOPs seriously and still thronging places such as markets and parks.
Though federal and provincial governments were quick to impose restrictions, yet a steep surge is being witnessed in Coronavirus cases.
We should not forget that now there are more than one variants of the virus in Pakistan and they are more infectious and transmissible. Banning flights from Brazil and South Africa is a step in right direction.
While the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has so far done a tremendous work under Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar to tackle first two waves of the virus, the challenge posed by the third wave is more daunting, hence, warrants more strict restrictions to save precious lives as well as health infrastructure from collapsing.
Heavy responsibility rests with local administrations to ensure implementation of Covid related SOPs and decisions taken at NCOC level.
Those not adhering to the guidelines must not be spared under any circumstances and should be penalised.
Just like last year, massive media campaign should be launched immediately to create awareness amongst the people to take the threat seriously and as to how better they can keep themselves and other safe.
Rumours and ambiguities regarding efficacy of vaccination should also be removed.
Since restrictions will leave an adverse impact on daily wagers and probably render more people jobless, the government must provide necessary financial assistance to this segment of the society under Ehsaas Cash emergency programme.
Sanity must prevail and both ruling and opposition parties while rising above their petty political differences should get united and steer the national policy and efforts to counter the deadly pandemic.
