Pakistan says may lock down major cities after deadly COVID-19 surge

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s planning minister Asad Umar warned on Wednesday the government would impose stricter restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus, including completely shutting down major cities, after an alarming increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths in the country’s major centers.
According to the NCOC, the federal body responsible for combatting the coronavirus, 47,301 tests were conducted in Pakistan during the last 24 hours, with 5,499 confirmed COVID-19 cases, and 148 deaths. A day earlier, 137 people had died.
Addressing a news conference after chairing an NCOC meeting, Umar said it was time to act since hospitals were running out of space and more and more people needed supplemental oxygen.
“Let me make it clear,” the minister said, “the level at which the virus is spreading and our hospitals are filling up ... if we don’t act now, we will have no choice but to close down major cities.”
He said over 600 people were now going to the hospital daily with coronavirus-related complications, describing the ongoing week as “dangerous,” with the number of deaths recorded in recent days the highest since the beginning of the pandemic last February.
“We have reviewed the situation at the NCOC and found it to be bad,” he said. “We have taken decisions regarding the imposition of more restrictions which will be announced on Friday.”
Umar urged the people to follow officially prescribed measures to prevent the spread of the disease while urging the chief ministers of the four provinces to help.
“You are elected leaders,” he said. “People have voted for you and will listen to you.”
The minister also revealed that the coronavirus positivity rate was alarmingly high in places like Nowshera (38 percent), Mardan (33 percent), Rawalpindi (28 percent) and Lahore (27 percent).
He added that about 80 percent of ventilators were occupied in some cities, warning that the country was already consuming about 90 percent of the oxygen produced for medical purposes.