Fears of second wave of Covid-19 rise

Fears of a second wave of coronavirus in the province are rising due to non-implementation of precautionary standard operating procedures (SOPs) and laxity on part of the departments concerned.

In the past few days, confirmed cases of the disease have increased. On Sunday, at least 203 new confirmed cases of the disease and five deaths due to it were reported in Punjab. The big districts including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sheikhupura, Multan and Gujrat are among those where the administrative machinery has failed to implement the SOPs. According to sources in Punjab Health Department, seeing the continuous increase in the number of coronavirus patients, government may impose ‘smart lockdowns’ in several areas.

The chances of smart lockdown in the big districts have increased as coronavirus appears to be spreading again in the province. The health authorities and government officials are alarmed by the latest data. Especially, an increase in the patients in Lahore district is deemed significant as 106 new cases were reported in last 24 hours. Around 700 new confirmed cases were reported in the provincial capital during the past two weeks, while the numbers in other major districts are also increasing.

Since the outbreak, at least 2,257 patients have died in Punjab due to coronavirus, while the total number confirmed cases of the disease is 100,687.

"The situation was better when the lockdown ended last month, but it is crucial now. There is no implementation of SOPs at public places, markets, parks, transport stations and marriage halls,” said a senior health department official, adding that it was the district governments’ responsibility to implement the SOPs. “Now we are facing the second wave of coronavirus. There is urgent need that the government should activate district governments and start sealing places not implementing the SOPs. Otherwise, the situation will worsen again,” he warned.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2020.