K-P Covid-19 positivity ratio surges to 6.7%
The ratio of the novel coronavirus infections in the province has surged from 1.7 per cent last month to a whopping 6.7 per cent, confirming that along with winter, the province is now facing a second wave of the pandemic.
This was disclosed by Special Assistant to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chief minister on Information and Higher Education Kamran Bangash and Health Minister Taimur Jhagra on Monday during a news briefing.
Bangash said that the surge in cases has been confirmed by the National Coordination Council (NCC), which reviewed the pandemic situation in K-P after the province was hit by the second wave of the contagion.
The special assistant added that they were recording as many as eight related fatalities daily in the first week of October. This has now increased to 25 in November.
Jhagra said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to impose a ban on public gatherings across the country to protect the lives of the public.
In this regard, Jhagra said that the provincial government has also cancelled its public meeting to launch the Rashakai economic zone - which was supposed to have been inaugurated by PM Imran.
He further said that the government will also speak to the opposition parties - who aim to organise a large public gathering in Peshawar later in the week.
I hope they will understand the sensitivity of the situation, the minister said.
The officials warned that the second wave of novel coronavirus can prove to be more dangerous than the first.
However, he said that medical staff in all public hospitals of the province now have the experience to deal with the situation.
They will have to take decisions keeping in view the severity of the situation, he added.
The health minister further said that the government is making efforts to uplift the healthcare system in the province and that they have released adequate funds for the sector as well.
Noting that the province has less than 2,000 active cases, Jhagra said that government hospitals across the province will not close their outpatient departments (OPDs) this time.
Moreover, he said that businesses in the province will also be allowed to remain open, but with strict precautionary guidelines.
Meanwhile, the traders have demanded that the provincial government reconsider its policies for containing the second wave of the virus. Traders from different markets of the provincial capital on Monday organised a grand convention where they asked the government not to forcefully shut their businesses as it will harm their economy.
They accused the government of organising large public events where the virus SOPs are completely ignored while issuing directives to severely limit business timings.
The traders warned they will launch a massive protest across the province if their demands are not fulfilled.
The Khyber district administration sealed a private school after 17 Covid-19 cases were reported in the educational institution.
Bara Assistant Commissioner Naik Muhammad said that the district health department randomly conducted Covid-19 tests and confirmed that 17 people have contracted the virus following which the school was closed.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2020.