KARACHI:
About 10 restaurants have been sealed for not following SOP protocols — a decision the government was forced to take after a recent spike in the Covid-19 cases in Karachi. The current situation is such that 300 cases on average — equivalent to 60% of the country’s daily total tally — are being reported in the city every day. Therefore, the Commissioner Karachi has now ordered authorities to take strict action against any educational institute or industry violating the SOPs.
While cases have re-emerged in different parts of the world, the case of Pakistan is different as the country had failed to initiate any proper health strategy during the first phase. Rather, many researchers have asserted that during that time, people naturally developed some form of herd immunity against the virus while others claim that the hot and humid weather stopped the bacteria from spreading within the body. However, even though the smart lockdown strategy, which was finally introduced later on, seemed to be effective, the healthcare industry remains lamentable. In fact, it is rather shocking and appalling that, during an economic crunch brought about by the pandemic, the government has decided to suddenly increase the price of life saving drugs.
With more and more people slowly slipping into the abyss of poverty and homelessness, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that people are able to afford basic necessities amid such unprecedented circumstances. Otherwise, what is the job of such a government!
Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2020.
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