ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) rang alarm bells on Sunday and urged the government and public to exercise special caution amid global concerns over the emergence of a new strain of COVID-19.
The new variant of the coronavirus was reported to the WHO from South Africa earlier this week as a highly mutated strain and has already been detected in Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel. The WHO on Friday codenamed the new strain as “omicron” and declared it a “variant of concern.”
The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), Pakistan’s central pandemic response body, already on Saturday imposed a complete ban on travel from Hong Kong and six southern African countries — South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini and Botswana. It also ordered the aviation division to design a mechanism for the screening of passengers traveling from these states through indirect flights.
“Government should take all the required preventive measures,” the PMA said in a statement. “We can face another wave of Covid-19 most likely by the mid or end of the December. It could be serious because this new variant is more contagious.”
The PMA also called on unvaccinated members of the public to get their jabs.
“We also request you to adopt preventive measures,” it said. “The people who do not get them vaccinated could face the intricacy of the disease.”
Pakistan has administered at least 121.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far. Assuming every person needs two doses, that is enough to have vaccinated about 28.1 percent of the country’s population.
Pakistani doctors on alert over new COVID-19 variant
https://arab.news/bspvr
Pakistani doctors on alert over new COVID-19 variant
- WHO codenamed the new strain as ‘omicron’ and declared it a ‘variant of concern’
- Pakistan imposed a complete ban on travel from seven countries where the new strain was detected
Pakistan deputy PM speaks with Iranian FM as Saudi Arabia intercepts missiles and drones
- Ishaq Dar expresses concern over evolving regional situation as both officials agree to remain in contact
- Pakistan earlier reminded Tehran of its mutual defense pact with Saudi Arabia during diplomatic outreach
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi on Friday amid escalating tensions in the Gulf, including recent missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia that were intercepted by the Kingdom’s air defenses.
The call comes as Islamabad remains in contact with both Tehran and Gulf states to prevent the widening Iran conflict from spilling further across the region, particularly after attempted strikes on Saudi territory, a sensitive development for Pakistan, which signed a mutual defense pact with the Kingdom last year.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said Dar raised concerns about the evolving regional situation during the conversation.
“Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar spoke this evening with the Foreign Minister of Iran, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The DPM/FM expressed concern over the evolving regional situation. The two agreed to remain in touch on the developments,” it added.
The ministry did not share details of the conversation, though it came amid fast-moving developments in the region, with Saudi Arabia saying its air defenses intercepted multiple missiles and drones early on Friday.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s adviser on political affairs Rana Sanaullah said Pakistan was in contact with Iran to discourage attacks on Gulf countries and prevent misunderstandings.
“Such attacks should not be carried out from Iran’s side,” he told Geo TV.
Prior to that, the deputy prime minister told Pakistan’s Senate that Islamabad had engaged both Iran and Saudi Arabia at the outset of Iran’s retaliation in the region, reminding Tehran of its defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and conveying assurances from Riyadh that Saudi territory would not be used against Iran.
Pakistan says its administration is striving to end the conflict, though the United States-Israeli strikes on Iran, which triggered the war and led to its spillover, have only intensified.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday some countries had begun mediation efforts but insisted Tehran would defend its sovereignty.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” on his Truth Social platform as the confrontation shows little sign of easing.
