Zubair Qureshi
Despite their best intentions, the District Health Department of Islamabad and the District Administration of the Islamabad Capital Territory failed to check the rapid spread of the Covid-19 virus as 538 new cases were reported in the last twenty-four hours in Islamabad.
This is the highest number reported in a single day since January 1, 2021 and the residents of the federal capital expressed their concerns over the poor monitoring by the ICT administration and the health department with regard to checking frequent violations of coronavirus.
According an official of the National Command & Operation Centre (NCOC) in the last twenty-four hours a total of 6,919 tests were conducted and Islamabad seems to be in the complete grip of the third wave that is according to the Minister for Planning & Development and Special Initiative Asad Umar is ‘deadlier and faster’ than the previous two waves.
With addition of the new cases, Islamabad’s cases have jumped close to 50,000 (49,476) while two deaths in the last twenty-four hours have taken the death toll due to Covid-19 to 531.
Dr Zaeem Zia DHO of Islamabad in a message on social media revealed the city was experiencing 7.7 percent positivity rate and if proper Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were not followed there is no doubt it would increase further and might high 10 per cent or more in the near future.
Islamabad’s markets and public places have turned into hotspots for coronavirus as people are seen less mindful of the health guidelines or Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS) including wearing of face masks or maintaining social distance.
Meanwhile, the District Health Department has improved things at the vaccination centres in various rural and urban areas of Islamabad.
“There are no more long queues of the senior citizens waiting for their turn to get vaccinated or complaints of mismanagement, said a staff member of the District Health Office.
Likewise at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Polyclinic, CDA Hospital and other vaccination cetnres too, senior citizens are being facilitated without any trouble.
They come at their turn, show the message received by the NADRA (National Database & Regulator Authority) and receive their jabs on their turn, said a doctor at the PIMS.
A senior citizen Muhammad Ashraf also confirmed vaccination is being carried out in hassle-free way.
I am thankful to the PIMS for care and respect being shown to senior citizens, he said. Khadija Begum, another senior recipient of the Coronavirus jabs also expressed her pleasure at the swift vaccination process being carried out at the Polyclinic Hospital.
