KARACHI: The Sindh government has announced to impose a lockdown in Karachi and the rest of the province from tomorrow (Saturday) until August 8 due to spiralling coronavirus cases.
The decision was taken in a meeting headed by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah of the COVID task force attended by provincial ministers, health experts, doctors, and traders. The Sindh health department recommended a complete lockdown in Karachi for 15 days to curb the surging number of cases.
While presiding over the meeting, the chief minister said that employees of government offices who have not been vaccinated after August 31 will not receive their salaries.
He said the export-oriented industries would remain open but all government and private offices would remain closed. The government has also decided to shut down inter-city transport. All markets, shops, and businesses except essential services such as pharmacies will remain closed.
It has also been decided that authorities are liable to check for vaccination cards for anyone who come outside during the lockdown. Shopping malls, cinemas, wedding halls, and markets will remain completely closed and law enforcement agencies will enforce SOPs from citizens.
Earlier today, the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) announced that that the forum had “critically reviewed” the disease spread in Karachi and had decided to take all possible measures to assist the provincial government.
“The measures being undertaken by the federal government include ramping up critical care capacity, including oxygenated beds and vents, availability of oxygen and deployment of law enforcement agencies for implementation of SOPs and non-pharmaceutical interventions,” the forum said.
During the NCOC meeting held today, the forum critically reviewed disease spread in Karachi and decided to take all possible measures to assist Sindh Government in combating the rising trend of disease. 1/2
— NCOC (@OfficialNcoc) July 30, 2021
The measures being undertaken by Federal Government include ramp up of critical care capacity including oxygenated beds & vents, availability of oxygen and deployment of LEAs for implementation of SOPs and NPIs. 2/2
— NCOC (@OfficialNcoc) July 30, 2021
‘Terrifying situation’
Sindh Health Secretary Dr Kazim Jatoi informed the meeting that a positivity rate of 13.7 per cent was recorded in the province. There are 39,958 active cases as of Friday while there are 1,410 patients in hospitals, 1,192 were critically ill and 102 were on ventilators.
He said that the positivity rate in Karachi during the last 24 hours was 23 percent, 14.52 percent in Hyderabad and 2.9 percent in Sukkur.
CM Sindh said that in Karachi, the highest positivity rate was recorded in East district at 33 percent followed by 21 percent in Korangi district and 19 percent in West district, while South and Malir districts reported a positivity rate of 17 percent each.
The meeting was also told that 469 patients had died in Karachi during the last 29 days, of which 323 had been on ventilators while 50 died at their homes.
The doctors and health experts warned that the situation in the province could turn “terrifying”. They also raised concern over the increasing pressure on hospitals and the spread of the Delta variant.
