Islamabad: Pakistan’s National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday declared wearing a mask at public places a mandatory act for every citizen.
The directions came a day after Pakistan’s active cases surpassed the 11,000 mark and Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan announced the second wave of the deadly virus had hit the country.
“From now on it is compulsory for all citizens to wear a face mask when stepping out of their homes,” said Sultan in a statement after the meeting of the NCOC that was presided over by Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar.
In a tweet Asad Umar said NCOC had approved the use of antigen testing in addition to the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests being carried out. This is part of a strategy to increase the level of testing. The symptomatic cases will still be administered PCR tests, said the minister adding the decision is in line with the guidelines issued by WHO.
According to a statement by NCOC, all provinces have been asked to ensure that people wear face masks and adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs), particularly in bazaars, shopping malls, public transport and restaurants.
Pakistan’s battle against coronavirus not over yet
Prime Minister Imran Khan while speaking at a convention of doctors on Wednesday in Lahore warned Pakistan’s battle against coronavirus was not over as there was a possible second wave of COVID-19.
We are fighting a big battle against corona and every Pakistani must follow health precautions in the next two months in view of a possible second wave of COVID-19, the Prime Minister said.
“We fear a second wave could come and there are some indications that our cases are rising a little bit,” said Imran Khan.
He said the residents of cities that experience pollution and smog in winter will have to be extra careful in the coming weeks.
Section 144 imposed in Islamabad
Following the NCOC decision, the Islamabad district administration has imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to order wearing of face masks/covers in public places in the capital.
Anyone not wearing a mask in public could be arrested by police, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said in a tweet.
14 deaths, 825 new cases
Pakistan on Wednesday reported 14 deaths and 825 new infections in a period of 24 hours taking the total number of casualties due to coronavirus to 330,200 and deaths to 6,759. What particularly caused the authorities to take strict measures like wearing masks, a compulsory act, is that the number of active cases is on the rise and the country on Wednesday reported 11,627 active cases.
The infection rate has also gone up to 5.6% while the death rate stands at 2%. In the last 24 hours, 374 cases of coronavirus were recovered registering the recovery rate at 94.4%.
