ISLAMABAD: Pakistani president Dr. Arif Alvi has said starting December 4, ‘Youm-e-Dua,’ or day of prayer, would be observed every Friday to seek god’s mercy to protect people against the novel coronavirus.

He announced this after a delegation of ulema met him at the president house on Thursday, saying a 20-point Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) plan announced in April needed to be implemented to overcome a second wave of the coronavirus currently sweeping through Pakistan.

“The President mentioned that ulema had assured that the mosque administrations would ensure the proper safe-distancing during congregational prayers,” state news agency APP said. “The SOPs regarding mosques included proper distance among worshippers, disinfecting carpets and floors, ablution at homes before coming to mosques and bringing own prayer rugs.”

Alvi said mosques and the media had an important role to play in raising awareness about the importance of COVID-19 SOPs.

Government data released on Friday showed Pakistan had recorded 55 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, as the nationwide tally of fatalities jumped to 8,260 and infections reached 410,072.

After a peak of over 6,800 daily infections in June, the number fell to a low of 213 in August, and remained below 700 for most of the last three months. But there has been a sharp rise in new cases since last month.

Earlier this month, the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan ruled out a complete lockdown and decided to continue the “smart lockdown” policy with strict implementation of safety guidelines.

The country’s last comprehensive lockdown was lifted in May.