AT long last, the Government announced on Sunday what
it should have from the very beginning – mandatory wear
ing of mask at public places. Making the announcement at a media briefing, Special Assistants to Prime Minister (SAPM) Dr Zafar Mirza and Dr Moeed Yusuf said as 92 per cent cases have been reported through local transmission, we have declared the use of masks mandatory in markets, shopping malls, public transport, commercial flights, trains and crowded places.
The move assumes significance and relevance as, according to the Special Assistant on Health, Dr Zafar Mirza, there is an alarmingly high 20% positivity rate among the 15,000 tests performed in a day which speaks of carelessness on the part of people after easing of lockdown. As the violations attract penalties, it is now hoped that the measure would yield positive response from the general public. The Government allowed resumption of normal activities out of concern for the general public that was experiencing economic difficulties but gross violations of the security precautions and guidelines are being observed in the length and breadth of the country and expectations of voluntary observance of precautionary measures have proved wrong. The issue was also discussed in a meeting at the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) where Minister for Planning Asad Umar proposed the engagement of market associations in implementing COVID-19 guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) directing the NCOC to concentrate on easing the lockdown while simultaneously ensuring strict enforcement of SOPs. The directions of the Minister also contradict speculations about re-imposition of stricter lockdown in the backdrop of an alarming surge in infections. Instead, the forum suggested strict punitive action on violation of SOPs as the NCOC works to devise a long and short term ‘Living with the Pandemic’ strategy on COVID-19. Asad called for pursuance of a mass awareness campaign which would focus on ensuring behaviour change of people regarding COVID-19 while underlining that the government’s intent to provide safeguards against the pandemic.
This is the right approach but has to be given practical shape without loss of further time and there should be no leniency as far as implementation of safety precautions is concerned. The Government has the necessary paraphernalia in the form of Tiger Force to create awareness and ensure implementation of guidelines by masses. The Force was created with fanfare but its fruitful use is nowhere to be seen in the country despite violations of the codes and the need for smart lockdown that the Government had been proposing in areas of Covid-19 concentration. What we are waiting for when 3,067 more people were tested positive for the deadly virus that claimed another 77 lives in just one day. Rolling out of Resource Management System (RMS) to provide real-time data on availability of resources, facilities, beds, PPEs, ventilators and other assets in hospitals located all over the country is also a step in the right direction but mere provision of information would not suffice when there are serious misgivings among masses about what happens to them when they visit any medical facility. Dr. Zafar Mirza expressed concern that even a religious leader was urging people not to visit hospital even if tested positive for Coronavirus but he ought to probe reports about casual handling of patients and that they are left to die. Ministry of Health was planning to mobilise retired doctors of public sector hospitals, young doctors, doctors on house jobs and final year medical students to cope with the situation but before that the shattered trust of people. In the given situation, it would be more appropriate if the proposal of Sindh and Balochistan regarding home quarantine is implemented without further delay. The Government has a system of tracking and identification of Corona patients in place and instead of herding people towards hospitals they should be given option of home quarantine and facilitated in this regard. There should, however, be strict monitoring of the affected people to prevent the possibility of their interaction with the community for which services of Tiger Force should be utilized. At the same time, State Bank of Pakistan has highlighted that was already known to everybody – low spending on health and education as compared to other regional countries – and it is hoped that the policy would be reviewed while announcing federal and provincial budgets.
