ISLAMABAD: Confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Friday crossed the one million mark since the beginning of the pandemic last year, with 1,425 new infections and 11 deaths reported in the last 24 hours in Pakistan.
Officials have reported that the spread of the coronavirus Delta variant is reaching alarming levels in Pakistan’s major cities, including Karachi and Lahore. This week, there were reports of public and some private sector hospitals reaching capacity in Karachi and refusing patients.
Pakistan last month announced easing wide-ranging coronavirus restrictions as infection numbers showed a steady decline on the back of strict lockdowns and an accelerated vaccination drive. The country of 220 million people has so far administered COVID-19 vaccine doses to over 24 million people.
“The growing number of vaccinations is encouraging but needs to be accelerated so that all social and economic restrictions can be lifted,” planning minister Asad Umar said this week. “Unless a large part of the population is vaccinated, restrictions are inevitable.”
کل پہلی دفعہ پاکستان میں ایک دن میں 6 لاکھ سے زیادہ ویکسینیشن کی گئی. ویکسینیشن کی بڑھتی ہوئی تعداد حوصلہ افزا ہے لیکن اس میں اور تیزی لانی کی ضرورت ہے تاکہ تمام سماجی اور معاشی پابندیاں ختم کی جا سکیں. جب تک آبادی کا بڑا حصہ ویکسین نہیں لگواتا، پابندیاں نا گزیر ہیں
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) July 20, 2021
Earlier this week, Dr. Qaiser Sajjad, secretary general of the Pakistan Medical Association, said government hospitals in Karachi had reached saturation point, something not witnessed during previous waves, and even some private hospitals were refusing patients.
Officials also fear the Delta variant could have spread during the ongoing Eid Al-Adha holiday as people traveled to and from cities like Karachi to their hometowns around the country.
According to the Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences at the University of Karachi, there is 92.2 percent prevalence of the Delta variant in Karachi.