ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiative Asad Umar has called for unity in response to the third wave of the novel coronavirus, saying that “the danger is higher than ever and knocking at our doors”.
Taking to Twitter, the federal minister said that the need for caution is clear. “Need the country to unite in response and achieve once again what we achieved in the first wave, for which we received global praise,” he added.
The need for caution is clear. The danger is higher than ever and knocking at our doors. Need the country to unite in response and achieve once again what we achieved in the first wave, for which we received global praise. Inshallah we will do it again, together
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) May 8, 2021
Asad Umar presented the example of a small country like Nepal which saw an exponential rise in cases going up above 7,000 daily. “Deaths also rose sharply. You can see the entire region is exploding with cases and deaths, in the latest COVID wave,” he noted.
Even a small country like nepal saw an exponential rise in cases going up above 7,000 daily. Deaths also rose sharply. You can see the entire region is exploding with cases & deaths, in the latest covid wave. We have alhamdulillah been spared the worst by timely decisions pic.twitter.com/bbm75MzcV1
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) May 8, 2021
Referring to India’s situation, he said, “The unfortunate catastrophe unfolding in India has grabbed global headlines. Yesterday there were more than 4 lakh cases in India with 4,194 deaths. Hospital systems have been overwhelmed and oxygen supply runs out in many places.”
“We realize that the mobility restrictions put into place from today till the 16th are going to cause inconvenience. These measures have been necessitated by the extremely dangerous situation which has been created in the region with the spread of virulent mutations of the virus,” the minister added.
Pakistan reported 120 more deaths from coronavirus, taking the national death toll to 18,797 on Saturday. About 4,109 more people contracted the infection, increasing the total caseload to 854,240 nationwide.
