ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s minister for planning, who also oversees the country’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts, on Thursday warned about the “unmistakable” rise once again of the coronavirus in Pakistan, urging people to follow health guidelines or face “restrictive actions.”
According to official data, 321,218 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Pakistan so far, and there have been 6,614 deaths. Cases have declined steadily after peaking in June.
In August, the government announced that virtually all sectors in Pakistan shut down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus would be reopened that month, other than schools and marriage halls, which opened in September. Since then, there has been a slow uptick in infection numbers.
In a tweet on Thursday, Asad Umar said the national positivity rate had reached 2.37% on Wednesday, the highest in more than 50 days.
“Last time this level was seen on aug 23,” he said. “First 4 days of this week covid deaths average is 11 per day..highest since week of Aug 10th. Unmistakable signs of rise of corona.”
National positivity of covid cases was 2.37% yesterday. This is the highest positivity in more than 50 days. Last time this level was seen on aug 23. First 4 days of this week covid deaths average is 11 per day..highest since week of Aug 10th. Unmistakable signs of rise of corona
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) October 15, 2020
Umar said the COVID-19 positivity ratio was “extremely high” in Muzaffarabad, the capital city of the Azad Kashmir region, high in Karachi and was rising in Lahore and Islamabad.
He urged the public to take coronavirus standard operating procedures seriously again: “Otherwise, unfortunately we may have to take restrictive actions which have negative effects on people’s livelihoods.”
Covid positivity is extremely high in muzaffarabad, remains high in karachi, rising in lahore & Islamabad. Time for all of us to take covid sop's seriously again. Otherwise, unfortunately we may have to take restrictive actions which have negative effects on peoples livelihoods
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) October 15, 2020
Pakistan’s National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), which synergizes government efforts against COVID-19, said on Thursday 13 people had died because of the virus in the past 24 hours.
Early this week, the NCOC issued new guidelines banning public gatherings in cities where the coronavirus positivity rate was over six percent.