Islamabad: The coronavirus situation is worsening in Pakistan and according to the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on COVID-19, against the global positivity rate of 2.25 per cent Pakistan’s infection rate is also picking and currently stands at 2 per cent.
Mosques, public transport, shops and industries have been identified as major sectors in which violations of SOPs were being observed while the opposition parties’ alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is also contributing to the rise of coronavirus by organizing rallies in different cities of the country.
According to the NCC chairman Asad Umar, it has been told in the NCC meeting that people were no longer interested in social distancing and though during the first wave of COVID-19, mosques were implementing social distancing, they had stopped following the SOPs during the second wave.
Similarly, during the first wave, public transport was allowed to take passengers on 50 per cent seats of a vehicle, in the second wave this measure was no longer being practiced.
44,528 active cases
Pakistan on Friday reported 3,047 new cases of coronavirus and 50 deaths in one day, while the number of active cases in the country jumped to 44,528. With these latest figures, the country’s total number of cases is reported to be 432,327 while the death toll stands at 8,653.
According to the Ministry of National Health Services, 42,596 tests were conducted during the twenty-four hours while 4,791 patients were reportedly recovered from COVID-19.
Prime Minister Imran Khan meanwhile, urged the opposition’s bloc to postpone its rallies for at least two months as they were not going to pose threat to his government but would “definitely endanger the lives of people due to the fast spread of COVID-19.”
“The opposition thinks it can put pressure on me by holding rallies. That is not the case; but the rallies will endanger people’s lives,” said the prime minister while addressing the nation on TV after chairing a meeting of the National Coordination Committee on COVID-19.
40% beds occupied
The prime minister said 40 per cent of beds allocated for COVID-19 patients were occupied in Peshawar where the 11-party opposition alliance had held a public meeting on November 22.
The prime minister said 50 per cent of the beds were occupied in Islamabad. The country’s average of COVID-19 beds currently occupied was approximately 40 per cent which meant cases were increasing, he said.
Newly-appointed Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) Chairman Maroof Afzal passed away due to COVID-19.
Maroof Afzal was recently appointed as Chairman of the FPSC though COVID-19 didn’t allow him to assume the charge. He was a former officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), and had earlier served as Cabinet Secretary, Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Secretary Establishment Division.
Prime Minister Imran Khan in a tweet expressed his grief over the death of Maroof Afzal and sent condolences to his family.
