ISLAMABAD: Pakistani planning minister Asad Umar, who also heads the country’s main pandemic response body, the NCOC, said on Friday there were “clear early signs” of a fourth wave of the coronavirus starting in Pakistan.
After staying below 1,000 new infections for the past month, the number of fresh coronavirus cases is growing once more, with 1,737 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. In a video message posted on social media, Prime Minister Imran Khan warned of a “fourth wave” on Thursday, saying the Delta virus variant could come to Pakistan.
The Delta variant, first identified in India and which is becoming dominant in many countries, is more easily transmitted than earlier versions of the coronavirus and is suspected to cause more severe disease, especially among younger people.
“2 weeks back I had tweeted that our artificial intelligence models are showing possible emergence of 4th wave,” Umar said in a tweet. “Now there are clear early signs of 4th wave starting. Poor sop compliance, coupled with spread of variants of concern, indian variant in particular, are the main cause.”
He added: “Field reports are showing complete disregard of the condition of vaccination for those attending indoor weddings and going to indoor restaurants & gyms. If the owners of these facilities do not show responsibility & ensure compliance, there will be no choice but to shut them down.”
Last month, the Pakistani government lifted nearly all coronavirus restrictions, allowing businesses, offices, marketplaces, restaurants and entertainment venues to operate while adhering to social distancing rules. The country has also picked up the pace of its vaccination drive, with over 18 million doses administered so far in the South Asian nation of 220 million people, of which more than 125 million are above the age of 18 and therefore eligible for vaccination.
This month, the Economist ranked Pakistan third on its normalcy index that measures countries’ progress in returning to pre-pandemic life.
