IT should be a matter of concern that the country recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in a single day on Thursday in January as 3,097 new cases and 46 deaths were reported. The positivity ratio, which remained at around 5 per cent for the last few weeks, also saw a jump and went up to 7.45 per cent. Earlier, 3,179 cases were reported on December 18 last year.
The spread of the Coronavirus is assuming dangerous proportions but it is regrettable that neither Federal/Provincial Governments nor people are demonstrating the level of seriousness on the phenomenon which was the basis of success in the first wave. Pakistan earned appreciation of the international community for its sound approach that kept both human and economic tolls within bearable limits. However, it seems, in the second wave, people have been left at the mercy of the situation as numbers of infections and deaths are rising at alarming speed. The Government has opened almost all sectors of economy including ones that add more to infected cases under pressure from various pressure groups and vested interests and its expectation that the virus would be checked with the cooperation of the people is not materializing due to increased insensitivity of people to the emerging situation. It is because of lack of necessary interest that the cases are rapidly increasing with fallout for the economy and different institutions as is evident from the ban imposed by China on PIA flights for three weeks for the same reason. Now the only hope is vaccination but we are also slow on this front as there are no firm indications as yet when the process would begin.
