Government expected to decide reopening of COVID-19 negative sectors soon

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The federal government has started consultation process with stakeholders to review the possible reopening of those sectors, having been placed in the negative list during the COVID-19 pandemic, aligned to Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) and after the approval from the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). 

"Started consultations at NCOC with provinces on review and possible revision of sectors (subject of SoPs) on negative list of opening up. These include tourism, restaurants, marriage halls, parks etc. Also reviewing the timing of markets and industries are allowed to operate, the Federal Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar tweeted on August 4. 

"We have collected the proposals and have asked the provinces to finalize the SoPs and method of enforcement" Hammad Azhar added. 

“These proposals would be submitted to the NOCC, headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan, to take final decision within a few days,” the Minister concluded. 

There have been indications, following the flattening of graph relating to fatalities and infection caused by coronavirus (COVID-19), that the government would be reopening the ‘closed’ sectors sometime later this month.

Coronavirus Update: Situation apparently under control

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh, by the look of things, witnessed a majority of the COVID-19 indicators in control for the third day running on August 3 as the authorities in the government confirmed registration of 219 new infections, out of 4,484 samples, with two more related deaths, during the last 24 hours across the province.

Relevant data suggested that COVID-19 testing laboratories collectively performed only 30% of their given testing capacity (14,920 tests) during the last 24 hours ending August 3 afternoon, like preceding days, probably in the wake of Eid holidays. 

As many as 12 laboratories examined no samples. Earlier, as per the official data, 20 of the 27 COVID-19 laboratories, including 16 at Karachi, among others, did not conduct any test during the last 24 hours ending on August 2 morning. 

In all 5,272 samples were tested by different laboratories across the province, out of which 276 were found positive for the virus, including those of the new patients. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his routine statement on the disease’s status, said that as many as 111,249 patients had recovered from COVID-19 by August 3, there remained 9,230 active patients, including 7,772 at homes, nine at isolation centres, 449 at hospitals, including 365 in critical conditions, while 64 patients were put on ventilators.

Karachi, as usual, reported the maximum number of 95 new cases (about 43% of the total new cases), followed by Kashmore (17), Ghotki (15), Shaheed Benazirabad (12), Shikarpur (10), Umerkot (7), Hyderabad (5), Larkana (5), Naushero Feroze (5), Sukkur (5), Tando Allahyar (4), Khairpur (3), Dadu (3), Mirpurkhas (3), Kambar Shadadkot (2), Matiari (2), Sngahr (2), Sujawal (2), Jacobabad (1), Tando Mohammad Khan (1), Thatta (1) and Badin (1).

Sindh's daily infection rate came as 5%, against its overall rate of 16%, while the total number of fatalities due to the virus reached to 2,226 for the province.