Pakistan’s battle against COVID-19 is worsening by the day, with the country records 5,000 daily cases as of Saturday morning.
According to the latest statistics from the National Command and Operation Centre, 4,950 new infections were identified in the past 24 hours after 58,479 COVID-19 tests were performed.
The positivity rate has spiked to 8.64%.
According to NCOC’s statistics, the nationwide death toll from COVID-19 has risen to 23,360 after 65 individuals died as a result of the illness, with 940,164 recovered patients and 66,287 active cases.
Sindh has 380,093 cases, 143,673 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 356,211 in Punjab, 87,304 in Islamabad, 30,289 in Balochistan, 24,145 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and 8,096 in Gilgit-Baltistan, according to a province-by-province breakdown.
Due to an increase in Covid-19 cases, the Sindh government has decided to implement a lockdown throughout the province from tomorrow (Saturday) till August 8.
The decision was made during a meeting of the provincial coronavirus task group on Friday.
Restrictions will be in effect until August 8, according to a leaflet provided by the CM’s office. Businesses in the export industry, on the other hand, will be permitted to operate.
Intercity travel will be prohibited, and all markets will be closed. Pharmacies, on the other hand, will be open.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah addressed the gathering, saying that during the lockdown, people’ vaccination cards will be verified and all government offices will be closed beginning next week.
He warned that government workers who had not been vaccinated will not be paid after August 31.
The announcement comes only one day after federal Minister of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar dismissed the notion of shutting down whole cities to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Umar, who is also the director of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), has said that Pakistan should seek successful smart lockdowns.
However, the NCOC stated earlier today that the forum had “critically reviewed” the disease’s spread in Karachi and had resolved to help the province administration in every way feasible.
“The measures being undertaken by the federal government include ramping up critical care capacity, including oxygenated beds and vents, availability of oxygen and deployment of law enforcement agencies for implementation of SOPs and non-pharmaceutical interventions,” the forum said.
