ISLAMABAD: Amid the rising trend of coronavirus cases across the country, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has decided to review the decision to reopen all educational institutions.
The NCOC meeting, presided over by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, was attended by National Coordinator Lt Gen Hamood Uz Zaman Khan as well as representatives from each province via video link on Monday (today).
The NCOC discussed updates from the provinces on the rising Covid-19 positivity rate, progress in the vaccination campaign as well as the national vaccine strategy.
The meeting also discussed deferring the opening up of cinemas, indoor weddings and dine-in restaurants, which were expected to be allowed with effect from March 15. The next review on this matter is set to be held in the first week of April.
The officials expressed their concerns over public complacency in following non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) alternative measures to treat the disease other than medical treatment.
These include following the SOP guidelines issued by the NCOC, such as mask-wearing, hand-washing and maintaining social distancing, among others.
Provincial administrations were directed to ensure strict enforcement of NPIs at the grass-root level to contain the spread of the disease as any slackness in adhering to safety guidelines would trigger the contagion outbreak.
The number of Covid-19 cases has surged by around 50 percent ever since the NCOC eased restrictions late last month.
Earlier, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood had announced that schools in major cities would resume routine classes from March 1 in view of the declining trend of Covid-19 cases across the country.
This announcement applies to every educational institutions in the designated cities where restrictions had been imposed. Allah SWTs infinite mercy that we are returning to normal https://t.co/L0Jb4nFQPC
— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) February 25, 2021
However, the trend now appears to be reversing, with Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, issuing a stark warning to “remember that the pandemic is not over” last week.
COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in Pakistan are increasing once again. The decline seen over the past 2 months is clearly reversing as positivity has gone up from 3.31% to 4.16% within a week. We must remember that the pandemic is not over pic.twitter.com/dakTCZlNWP
— Faisal Sultan (@fslsltn) March 5, 2021
