President Alvi urges people to 'get serious' as Covid cases spike by over 900

President says emergence of 3,752 new cases in a single day is alarming, urges SOPs compliance and vaccinations

ISLAMABAD:

President Arif Alvi on Monday urged the masses to 'get serious' about the sharp increase in Covid-19 cases – fuelled mostly by the spread of the Delta variant – and to comply with the SOPs to mitigate the virus' spread.

The country recorded at least 3,752 new cases during the last 24-hour period, a sharp increase of more than 900 cases from a day earlier.

Alarming. 3752 new Covid patients y/day. Get serious people of Pakistan. Cases have shot up post Eid. I was expecting & warning about it as I saw carelessness in streets, bazaars, weddings & mosques. Lets put our act together. Follow SOPs Wash hands, Mask & Social Distance 🙏 pic.twitter.com/QPTGaf74kE

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) July 26, 2021

"Alarming. 3752 new Covid patients y/day. Get serious people of Pakistan," President Alvi said on Twitter.

The president said he had been 'expecting and warning' the people as he saw a lack of compliance and carelessness in bazaars, weddings and markets.

He further said the people should put their 'act together' and follow the government's SOPs to curtail the spread of the deadly virus.

In another tweet from his personal account, the president urged the masses to vaccinate themselves and 'save your friends, relatives and your nation'.

"The important test is to rise to the occasion," he remarked.

GET VACCINATED. Save your friends, relatives and your nation. Don't let the recent gains towards stability ne sacrificed on the alter of neglect. You are a rising nation, so the important test is to 'rise to the occasion.' https://t.co/XK39QSeXxL

— Dr. Arif Alvi (@ArifAlvi) July 26, 2021

On Sunday, Sindh reported its highest number of coronavirus cases in over a year as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to spread in the province particularly in its capital, Karachi.

According to Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, the province reported 2,343 cases during the last 24 hours, lifting the tally to 367,075.

Read Covid resurges in wake of Eid

This is the most number of cases in the province since July 2, 2020, when 2,430 people contracted the virus. Out of the total 2,343 cases, the port city reported 1,932 at an alarming 24.82% positivity rate.

The country's death toll has crossed the 23,000 mark.