Follow SOPs, we don't want to impose strict restrictions: Murtaza Wahab

Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab has said that Covid-19 infection rate in Karachi has surpassed 6%, warning everyone to follow Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedure as the authorities did not want to impose restrictions.

During a press conference on Monday, the administrator raised alarm over the increase in the Covid-19 cases, saying that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had chaired a meeting and reviewed the Covid-19 situation.

As per a statement by the official handle of the CM House, CM Shah has directed officials to enhance Covid-19 tests in Karachi and Hyderabad. The CM Sindh also instructed for boosting the vaccination drive in Sindh.

Meanwhile, Wahab has urged everyone to exercise caution. He advised people to get vaccinated, wear masks, maintain social distancing to protect themselves from the deadly virus.

Pakistan reports over 700 Covid-19 cases for first time since October 2021

Administrator Wahab's statement echoed National Command and Operation Centre's (NCOC), which said that the fifth wave of Omicron variant was spreading rapidly in the country. The forum has decided to increase stringent measures to ensure mandatory vaccination due to a increase in the cases.

The decision comes after Pakistan reported over 700 Covid-19 cases for the first time since October last year. So far, the country has confirmed 1,297,235 Covid-19 cases. During the last 24 hours, the coronavirus positivity ratio was recorded at 1.55%. There are 642 critical cases in the country.

The novel virus claimed two more deaths, taking the death toll to 28,943. The total number of recoveries reached 1,257,168 after 144 people recovered during the last 24 hours.

Karachi reports 11 more Omicron variant cases

Last week, Karachi confirmed 11 more cases of the Omicron variant. Eleven members of a single family were found to be infected with the new strain. The affected people, residents of the city’s District East, include eight women and three men whose ages range from 26 to 77.

The number of confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the metropolis has risen to 44 with the addition of the new cases.

15-day smart lockdown imposed in areas of Karachi District East

The local government also imposed a 15-day micro-smart lockdown in Karachi’s District East on Saturday after the emergence of at least 12 cases of Omicron variant in the area.

According to a notification issued by the deputy commissioner’s office, the lockdown was imposed in Gulshan-e-Iqbal’s Block 7 area and other hotspots on the report of the district health officers.

“In exercise of powers conferred under Section 3 of the Sindh Epidemic Diseases Act 2014 (as amended in 2020), I, Taha Saleem, Deputy Commissioner District Karachi East hereby impose smart lockdown and micro-smart lockdown, which shall be enforced in the streets and houses of specified area respectively as given below, for a definite period of two weeks only,” the notification read.

After the imposition of the smart lockdown, there will be a ban on all sorts of public gatherings in the area, the notification said, adding that the government will strictly enforce the implementation of the SOPs.