SOPs remain out of sight as Covid cases surge

If anything, being hit with several waves of coronavirus in less than three years should have taught the people of Karachi that throwing caution to the wind is never the wisest idea. However, as the port city slips into another viral upsurge caused by BA.5, a new variant of the veteran Covid-19, the people appear to have forgotten and forsaken all SOPs, while the government too has made no efforts to re-impose any restrictions after lifting them earlier this year. While at the same time, it has been observed that majority of citizens received their last anti-coronavirus shot at least six months ago and have since been casually delaying their booster dose, making them increasingly susceptible to the virus.

Medical experts have expressed their gravest concerns in the regard, urging citizens to mask-up and get inoculated on priority basis. Per Taranam Naz, who is a lady health worker and has been working frontlines ever since the pandemic gripped the city, believes that homemakers have been the most difficult demographic to inoculate, and the ones still refusing the jab. "These are mostly urban women who don't get out of the house too much. The ones who were somehow inoculated, are now showing complete disinterest in getting the booster shot. We go to their house and they are just not ready to corporate or even listen to us," complained the health worker, adding that she's had many a doors slammed on her face in the pursuits of getting women immunised.

However, beyond the house, the city too has now taken shape of a viral hotbed, while the people going about their day flouting SOPs are fully convinced that the pandemic is over. "They couldn't be more wrong," commented Ameer-Un-Nisaa, a welfare worker who has been dealing with providing relief to pandemic-affected demographics. "Be it markets, malls, playgrounds, hospitals or public transport, people have forgotten the concept of social distancing now and face masks have also disappeared from sight, as neither are a requirement anymore. There was no caution observed during the days of Eidul Azha, and we are now seeing the consequence of it as every day some new person is testing positive for Covid-19," she told.

The latest to test positive for the disease has been Pakistan Muslim League (N) head honcho Maryam Nawaz, who had her whirling few weeks of political campaigning cut short due to the viral infection.

However, this doesn't seem to have raised any red flags for the port city, where congregational gatherings still remain uninterrupted, and the government is yet to mull any plans for re-imposing the anti-coronavirus restrictions.

Per Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Secretary General Professor Dr Qaiser Sajjad, the recent surge in Covid-19 numbers is a matter of grave concern for Karachi and its residents. For instance, flouting SOPs during the days leading up to Eidul Azha meant that city saw its coronavirus positivity ratio climb to 39 per cent by July 12. This was the highest for any Pakistani city at the time. "Keeping the crisis in mind, the government should re-start its door-to-door booster corona vaccination campaign at the Union Council level with the support of local elders. Booster doses should be made mandatory; there should be advertising campaign for this. To implement the coronavirus-related SOPs, the government should take strict action and make the use of face masks mandatory in all public places," suggested the PMA Secretary General.

In response to this, Sindh Chief Minister's Adviser Waqar Mehdi has said that the government is taking needful steps to prevent another coronavirus-related crisis, in light of guidelines issued by the centre and the NCOC. "We are responding by expanding the scope of our vaccination campaign at first instance. People are requested to start wearing face masks and get boostered, for now. But if caution is not observed and numbers continue to climb, be aware that we are prepared to impose stricter measures to prevent the spread of the diseases," he told The Express Tribune.

In regard to this, Karachi Transport Ittehad President Irshad Buhari, Tajir Itehad President Atiq Mir and Amir Sahib, the administrator of a local mosque speaking on behalf of mosque administrations, have urged the people of Karachi to once again adopt SOPs and mask up, so that the government is not forced to take any harsh measures.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2022.