ISLAMABAD: The secretary general of the Pakistan Medical Association said on Monday the second wave of the novel coronavirus had “already started” in the country as case numbers increased daily and new deaths were recorded.
According to a government portal, nearly 319,317 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Pakistan so far, and there have been 6,580 deaths. But since June, case numbers have steadily declined.
In the last two weeks, however, hospitals have once more reported a growing number of patients as all sectors of the economy, including schools and wedding halls, have reopened. Daily infection numbers are still below the 1,000 mark.
“I could say that it [second wave] is already started, because the number of cases is increasing day by day in Pakistan and deaths [were] also recorded,” Dr. Qaiser Sajjad told Arab News.
#LISTEN: #Pakistan’s second wave of #coronavirus has already started, as the number of cases is increasing day by day and deaths are also recorded, says Secretary general PMA @QaisarsajjadDr || #COVID19 #SecondWave #Vaccine
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Read special by @MIshtiaq: https://t.co/uNouNuPIAG pic.twitter.com/R2gT3K5WQz— Arab News Pakistan (@arabnewspk) October 12, 2020
He said a majority of people in Pakistan were no longer getting tested for the coronavirus: “Mostly doctors in Pakistan are just confirming through clinical findings that this patient is suffering from COVID-19 and are being advised accordingly. So the second wave is of course on in Pakistan.”
Sajjad warned that hospitals would once more overflow with patients if people did not adhere to standard operating procedures like social distancing, wearing masks and using sanitizers.
A day earlier, Pakistan reinstated ‘smart lockdowns’ in several parts of the country after the national COVID-19 positivity rate rose by over 2 percent for the first time in six weeks.
“Mini smart lockdowns have been imposed in Karachi, Islamabad and Azad Jammu and Kashmir,” planning minister Asad Umar tweeted on Sunday.
“Instructions have been issued to administrations across the country to ensure that precautionary measures are followed. But like in the past, success is impossible without the cooperation of the people.”
6 ہفتے اوسط قومی سطح پر پوزیٹیویٹی 2٪ سے کم رہنے کے بعد پچھلے ہفتے 2٪ سے زیادہ رہی. کراچی، اسلام آباد، آزاد کشمیر میں منی سمارٹ لوک ڈاؤن دوبارہ نافذ. ملک بھر میں انتظامیہ کو حفاظتی اقدامات یقینی بنانے کی ہدایت کی گئی ہے. لیکن کامیابی پہلے کی طرح عوام کے تعاون کے بغیر ناممکن ہے
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) October 11, 2020
In March, the Pakistan government enforced a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, but all restrictions began to be lifted in August, and in September, schools and universities were also reopened.
