Virus hotspots

It is satisfying to see the relevant authorities spring into action as 365 coronavirus cases emerged in Karachi in a single day on Tuesday. The figure makes up nearly half — 48.86% to be exact — of the total number of cases (which is 747) reported across the country on the mentioned day. The swift action taken by the Sindh government saw a 4,000-strong union council in the city from where 22 new cases had been reported put under a ‘micro-smart lockdown’ while several restaurants have also been sealed for not adhering to the prescribed SOPs. There will be no unnecessary movement in and out of the areas under lockdown and only medical and general stores will be allowed open there. Some more hotspots have also been identified in nearly all the districts of the city while banquet halls and school have been warned of strict action in case of non-compliance of safety protocols.

The decision to impose ‘micro-smart lockdown’ was taken at the level of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) — the nerve centre which has representation from all provinces and regions of the country and which is tasked with implementing Covid-related decisions after national consensus. The sudden emergence of so many cases in Karachi in a single day had raised concerns of NCOC representatives which led to a swift counter action — something that speaks of the constant vigilance of the authorities on the situation related to coronavirus in the country.

With number far smaller than in many other countries of the world, Pakistan has been a success story in terms of Covid-19 suppression — a fact that has been recongnised by the director general of the World Health Organization as well. However, we need to continue to be vigilant if we are to prevent a second wave of the deadly virus, especially now that educational institutions at all levels have been reopened across the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2020.

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