Curbs relaxed in Covid-retreated cities

NCOC allows educational activities, indoor dining in areas with less than 10% positivity rate

ISLAMABAD:

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday eased several non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in the cities and towns where the Covid positivity ratio was less than 10%, as the pandemic data continued to show a declining trend.

The forum in its meeting in the federal capital reviewed the disease prevalence situation. After reviewing the data, it decided that the NPIs would be eased in the cities where the positivity rate was less than 10%.

The NCOC– the nerve centre of the government’s unified effort to contain the spread of the pandemic – said in a notification that in the low-positivity areas, educational institutions for under-12 children would remain open with virus-induced standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Read: Covid curbs may be eased in cities with low positivity

The forum also allowed indoor sports activities, indoor dining and opening of cinemas and shrines and for fully vaccinated people. The notification said that up to 300 vaccinated people would be allowed for indoor gatherings and up to 500 people in outdoor events.

The notification said that the Covid-induced restrictions would continue in the areas with more than 10% positivity ratio, which meant the SOPs would continue in cities of Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Mardan, Karachi, Hyderabad and Peshawar.

In the Covid hotspots, children under the age of 12 would go to school on alternate days, while a complete ban would remain in place on indoor events. The forum also said that it would review the situation in high positivity area in its next meeting on February 21.

According to the NCOC notification, the ban on serving food and snacks on domestic flights would continue. It further said that trains would run with 80% passenger capacity, while the public transport would ply with 70% passenger capacity.

Read: Pandemic woes: Health experts ring Omicron warning

The steps towards restoring the usual life activities came on the back of the improvement in the pandemic situation amid a stepped-up vaccination campaign. The forum had said on Monday that the country crossed another significant milestone of administering 200 million doses.

On Tuesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) congratulated Pakistan for administering 200 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, saying that the achievement was a testament to the government’s relentless efforts and perseverance for vaccine administration.

“Heartiest Congratulations to #Pakistan! Pakistan has administered 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, and this achievement is a testament to Government’s relentless efforts and perseverance for vaccine administration,” the world health body’s Pakistan chapter wrote on its official Twitter handle.

Last month Pakistan saw a very high number of Covid cases amid a fifth wave of the disease stoked by the super spreader Omicron variant. However, the cases showed a declining trend with the advent of February.

On Tuesday, the NCOC said that the single day tally of fresh Covid cases fell to 2,597 during the last 24 hours, while the death toll which was over 40 last week, fell to 27. Also the national positivity ratio came down to 5.40%.

(WITH INPUT FROM NEWS DESK)