ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Command and Operation Center, the primary body in-charge of the coronavirus pandemic response, has called a special session of the body today, Tuesday, to review Ramadan guidelines and the reopening of schools as Pakistan faces a third wave of the coronavirus, recording 3,953 new infections in the last 24 hours, with 103 deaths.
“Region continues to be under the grip of deadly COVID wave,” the NCOC said in a Twitter post. “Please adhere to SOPs [standard operating procedures] and ensure strict compliance of instructions being issued. Stay Safe!”
Region continues to be under the grip of deadly COVID wave. Please adhere to SOPs and ensure strict compliance of instructions being issued. Stay Safe! pic.twitter.com/kOcmXNLwb7
— NCOC (@OfficialNcoc) April 5, 2021
In a separate tweet, the body said it was calling a special session on Tuesday to review the opening of the education sector as well as go over Ramadan guidelines. On March 24, Pakistan’s education minister Shafqat Mahmood had announced all education institutions located in areas with high coronavirus positivity rates would remain closed until April 11.
NCOC special session will be held tomorrow to review the opening of education sector. Ramazan SOPs will also be reviewed in light of input from Ulema.
— NCOC (@OfficialNcoc) April 5, 2021
Last week, Pakistan announced new health guidelines for Ramadan which begins in the South Asian nation on April 14, including banning the entry of people older than 50 years and adolescents in mosques and shrines during the holy month. Pakistan has already decided that mosques around the country would remain open during Ramadan with strict adherence to COVID-19 standard operating procedures.
Last year after the coronavirus first broke out, a restriction on congregation provoked a backlash in Pakistan, with attacks on police as they attempted to halt prayers at mosques.
Health experts have repeatedly warned that congregations pose the biggest threat to Pakistan’s limited health care resources and infrastructure, which will crumble under the weight of a wide-spread outbreak of the coronavirus.
“Rows of the praying individuals should be aligned so that there is a distance of 6 feet between individuals,” the National Command and Operation Center said in guidelines released last week, saying people should perform ablutions at home. “It is obligatory that mask is worn before coming to mosque or imambargah and not to shake hands or hug anyone in the mosque.”
Unlike in the past, the government has said sehr and iftar, the meals to keep and break the fast respectively, should not be held at mosques or shrines. Typically, mass sehr and iftars are held for poor people at mosques in Muslim countries. The ban will also apply to the seclusion of Itikaf when Muslims spend the last 10 days of the month in mosques to pray and meditate, with the government asking people to seclude at home.
“If during Ramzan, the government feels that these precautionary measures are not being observed or the number of affectees has risen to a dangerous level, then the government will revise its policy related to mosques and imambargahs, as for other departments,” the NCOC said. “The government has also the right to change the orders and policy regarding severely affected specific areas.”