COVID-19 claims 3 lives, infects 579 in Sindh: CM Sindh orders strict implementation of SOPs

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, keeping in view the worsening situation of COVID-19 in the province Friday called for strict implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in all the institutions, including business, social, religious, educational and others and in case of non-compliance strict action would be taken against the delinquent.

“We can not contain the virus until our people make the SOPs part of their lives, otherwise I will have no option but to impose restrictions,” he added.

The chief minister said this while presiding over a meeting of the Task Force on coronavirus here at CM House, said a statement.

The meeting was attended by Minister Information Nasir Shah, Advisor Law Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IG Police Mushtaq Maher, ACS Home Usman Chachar, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary School Education Ahmed Bux Narejo, Secretary Health Kazim Jatoi, Secretary Colleges Bakar Naqvi, Dr. Bari, Dr. Faisal, representatives of Corps-5, Pakistan Rangers and others.

He said that the detection rate was on the increase in the province and the situation of the COVID-19 was also worsening on international level, he said and added most of the countries had started imposing lockdowns again.

The chief minister was told that overnight 579 new cases had emerged when 10,330 tests were conducted which constituted 5.6 percent detection rate.

At this, the chief minister said that 5.6 percent detection rate was high, therefore he directed the health department to enhance its testing capacity to 15,000 per day.

It was pointed out that so far 1,703,818 samples had been tested against which 148,922 cases had been diagnosed, of them 95 percent or 140,233 patients had recovered, including 367 overnight.

Syed Murad Ali Shah was told that during the last five days 25931 tests were conducted in Karachi against which 1932 cases were detected that constituted 7.45 percent detection which was highest in the province.

Similarly, 1577 tests were conducted in Hyderabad district where 144 new cases emerged that came to 9.13 percent detection.

In the rest of the province, 22,530 tests were conducted which diagnosed 1.85 percent or 416 cases.

The chief minister said that the recovery rate in the province was encouraging but the new spike in the cases was worrisome and needed immediate drastic measures to contain the virus.

He directed Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani to issue directives to the deputy commissioners to ensure proper and strict implementation of SOPs such as wearing masks, observing social distancing, avoiding hand shake and crowds.

Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the deputy commissioners to start checking in all institutions, including educational, religious [mosques, shrines, temples, etc] business centers, shopping malls, factories, super markets, restaurants etc for implementation of the SOPs. “In case of violation of (SOPs) strict action must be taken including sealing of the set up,” he said.

The chief minister was informed that currently 6022 patients were under treatment, of them 5729 were in home isolation, four at isolation centers and 289 at different hospitals, of them the condition of 222 patients was stated to be critical, including 25 shifted to ventilators.

It was also disclosed that three patients died overnight lifting the death toll to 2667 that constituted 1.8 percent death rate.

It was pointed out that till 6th November, 39 patients of COVID-19 had lost their lives.

The chief minister said that this was alarming and we had to take strict measures to save the lives of the people.

He directed secretary health to revisit all the government hospitals to ensure availability of oxygen, medicines and other facilities for COVID-19 patients and if there was any shortage it must be met immediately.

The chief minister considered different options to implement the SOPs, including reduction in business hours in all the institutions or imposition of selected lockdown.

“I want to take strict measures in consultation with the federal government so that there should be uniformity in our national decisions,” he said.

Syed Murad Ali Shah was informed that out of 579 new cases, 380 had been detected from Karachi, including 147 from East, 98 South, 53 Central, 46 Korangi, 19 Malir and 17 West.

Dadu has 11 new cases, Hyderabad and Jacobabad seven each, Badin six, Khairpur two, Larkana, Naushehroferoze, Sanghar, Tando Mohammad Khan and Umerkot one case each.

The CM directed the chief secretary to keep him posting district-wise daily progress reports of implementation of the SOPs.