155 more people test positive for virus

At least 155 people were found infected with the novel coronavirus disease in the capital on Monday, while three more people died of the pandemic in Rawalpindi.

According to National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) besides 155 new cases on Monday, as many as 136 cases were reported on Sunday while 137 cases were reported on Saturday.

So far 37,272 cases were reported from the federal capital while 407 deaths were reported from Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), an NCOC official said. He added 32,143 patients had been recovered completely.

Meanwhile, on the direction of Ministry of National Health Services, the district administration of Islamabad had continued smart lockdown in different streets of the capital to reduce transmission of the infection in the selected streets and other sectors.

They also started taking actions on violation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) related with the coronavirus while visiting marriage halls, markets and petrol pumps by its inspection teams. The administration also sealed schools, shops, workshop and restaurants on violation of SOPs.

The inspection teams also issued notices to marriage halls besides imposing fines on owners of different shops. Commenting on the situation, an official of Ministry of National Health Services said that several local level administrative decisions were made to control the disease.

He advised the citizens to continue following the social distancing, use of mask and other precautionary measures to stop increasing local transmission of Covid-19 in the city.

He said the government had adopted effective strategy to combat Covid-19 that resulted reduction in corona cases in the country. He said a strategy was made to control coronavirus keeping in view the global information, focusing on data with integration of local data in a scientific way.

He said the ministry had also asked the administrations of public and private organization functioning in the ICT to strictly monitor the SOPs to ensure protection of their employees from the Covid-19.

The Covid-19 triggered economic crisis has exacerbated the woes of women, children, vulnerable and marginalized persons, said Human Rights activist Fareeda Malik

She said the global financial crisis has threatened the well-being of vulnerable segment of society. The prevalent weaknesses of system have failed to provide solution to economic problems of the poor, she added.

Malik said due to financial crisis, many persons have lost their jobs, affordable food, housing, water and other basic necessities. She said the lockdown and slow economic activities have hindered economic recoveries and contributing to rising unemployment.

She urged the government to chalk out a comprehensive strategy for enabling the daily wagers to earn their livelihood in a respected way.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2020.