THE country reported the second highest number of Covid-19 cases on Tuesday after April last year, promoting the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) to mull over the possibility of stricter controls and make appeals for observance of relevant protocols.
According to the data released by the Centre, 5,034 cases and 10 deaths were reported and the national positivity rate reached 9.45pc while 10 cities reported a positivity ratio of over 7pc.
The situation in Karachi is particularly worrisome where the positivity rate has climbed to over forty percent with the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) warning that this showed only the registered number of cases while the number of unregistered cases is much higher.
The situation in Karachi has deteriorated mainly because of lack of interest on the part of the citizens to get them vaccinated and in this background the decision of the Sindh Government to intensify the door-to-door vaccination campaign is a step in the right direction.
The reluctance of the NCOC and the provincial governments vis-à-vis closure of educational institutions is understandable as the education sector suffered a lot and it needs unhindered continuation of academic activities to recover the loss to some extent.
However, there is justified demand that the vaccination campaign should be launched in all educational institutions without loss of further time.
Similarly, the idea of imposing penalties on violators of the SOPs also needs to be considered seriously besides and vaccination cards should be made mandatory for entering shopping malls, hotels and restaurants.
Booster shot for all those above the age of eighteen has been allowed because of its relevance in boosting immunity but the real issue is that of access and this can be addressed by organizing temporary camps in different localities.
