ISLAMABAD: Just two days after the government’s announcement relaxing the lockdown, a record number of 23 deaths and staggering 627 cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported during the last 24 hours, taking the tally of confirmed cases to 7,010, with 134 deaths on Thursday.
Experts fear that the number of cases will further increase due to lockdown relaxation, especially during the month of Ramazan as Taraweeh, Aitkaf and roadside arrangements for Iftar and Sehri will become a breeding ground for the deadly virus.
An official of the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) said that for the first time 5,300 tests, as compared to normal practice of around 3,000, were conducted during the last 24 hours.
He revealed that half of the cases confirmed during this period were found among the people who had participated in the Tableeghi congregation at Raiwind.
However, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, while talking to Dawn, said the number of cases should not be linked to the easing of lockdown. “Actually, there were a lot of people in quarantine and sometimes it happens when the testing is done in lots. A similar spike was observed on April 7 when around 700 cases were reported within 24 hours,” he added. “Second thing is that we have tested 5,300 persons, as compared to 3,000, in 24 hours due to which the number of cases also doubled.”
Experts fear number of Covid-19 cases will further increase due to lockdown relaxation; complete lockdown from 12 noon to 3pm in Sindh on Friday
Friday lockdown in Sindh
The Sindh government on Thursday announced that there would be a complete lockdown from 12 noon to 3pm on Friday (today), like the past few weeks, advising people not to come out of their houses for Juma prayers, after prominent clerics and noted scholars of the country from different schools of thought, who had earlier this week announced resumption of five-time congregational prayers, assured the chief minister of their cooperation to wait till a consensus strategy was evolved by the federal government.
During a meeting between Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and a delegation of clerics led by Ruet-i-Hilal Committee chairman Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman at the CM House, the two sides agreed on a complete three-hour lockdown on Friday, vowing to follow the consensus decision which was expected on Saturday when Prime Minister Imran Khan was scheduled to hold talks with ulema.
“I am really thankful to Mufti Muneeb and other ulema for understanding and agreeing to our request,” CM Shah told reporters flanked by the clerics. “As we have decided, we would be imposing complete three-hour lockdown tomorrow from 12 noon to 3pm. We appeal to the people to offer prayers at home and those who are part of the administration of the mosque may hold congregational Juma prayers at Masajid. I have also asked the police to show respect for the people offering prayers at mosques,” he said.
Earlier, Mufti Muneeb, in his brief media address, expressed the hope that the Saturday meeting with the prime minister would lead to a consensus decision that would lead to resumption of congregational prayers under the defined guidelines.
Fresh Covid-19 cases
According to data released by the National Command and Operation Centre, so far 78,979 tests have been conducted across the country.
Initially, it was claimed that most of the confirmed patients had travelled abroad, but recent data revealed that 58 per cent cases were locally transmitted.
It is worth mentioning that during March, when the pandemic began spreading in Pakistan, the country’s number of imported Covid-19 cases — a large chunk of which came from Iran — was higher than locally transmitted ones. However, the scales began tilting gradually, with imported cases declining as the government suspended international flights on March 21, and reports of Covid-19 patients with no foreign travel history began making the rounds.
On April 12, Dr Mirza told the media that around half of Pakistan’s total positive cases were locally transmitted.
The NHS ministry official said that after the completion of 14-day quarantine period, all the people who had participated in Tableeghi Ijtima at Raiwind were tested for coronavirus and around 250 (50pc) of them were found positive.
The official said that within three days of relaxation of the restrictions, rush had been witnessed on roads and a number of shops reopened. “Moreover, people have also started behaving as if the virus has been defeated. They need to understand that if things go out of our hands it will become almost impossible for us to control the situation,” he warned.
Virus surveillance
The NHS ministry has decided to use the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) on Polio for surveillance of Covid-19 across the country.
NEOC coordinator Dr Rana Safdar, while talking to Dawn, said the country’s polio surveillance system would be used to trace coronavirus cases, as it was the most effective virus detection system in place in the country.
In a video statement, World Health Organisation’s Executive Director for Health Emergencies Programme Dr Michael Ryan has also said that Pakistan has one of the best polio surveillance systems across the globe and it can be used for the detection of Covid-19 cases.
“I have been working with Pakistan for three-and- a-half years and have visited Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Balochistan. Pakistan has a very effective surveillance system and it can be used to detect the influenza virus cases i.e. Covid-19,” Dr Michael Ryan said.
