ISLAMABAD: The government has warned Pakistanis may face a very risky Covid-19 situation during Eid holidays, if they did not comply with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services and Regulations Dr Faisal Sultan speaking at a webinar here on Friday acknowledged that there were ‘initial signs of some stability’ during the pandemic but cautioned people against taking the infection lightly. He urged the masses to fully comply with the Covid-19 SOPs to protect themselves and their near and dear ones. He added that staying home during Eid holidays is the best way to deal with the spread of the Covid-19.
The webinar, titled, ‘SOPs and vaccination: Solution for the Covid-19 Pandemic,’ was attended by microbiologists, molecular biologists, medical professionals, and students from Pakistan as well as abroad. “We are today in the midst of third wave of Covid-19 pandemic and while there may be very initial signs of some stability (in the third wave), these are very early days and this is a very risky period for us as the holy month of Ramzan is going to end and Eid is approaching,” SAPM said. He called on microbiologists and scientists to keep warning people about the dangers of the coronavirus and encourage them to keep following the SOPs for safety against the infection. Speaking about Punjab, Sultan said the curve is flattening in Punjab and the same was the case in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, he said Covid-19 cases were on the rise in Sindh due to low compliance of the SOPs by the masses, adding that now was not the time to get complacent as Pakistan still had more than 5,200 in critical care.
"Covid-19 cases may rise again if precautions are not taken during this critical period when we are seeing the last days of the holy month of Ramzan and Eid is a festive season," he said. In response to a question, he said the government was concentrating on getting those vaccinated first who were the most vulnerable group. “Our first and foremost priority was to protect those who were at the greatest risk of dying. The second and concurrent objective was to protect individuals and to have enough immune people to allow reduced transmission of the disease,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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