COVID-19 onslaught
The government has decided to roll out smart lockdowns in areas where coronavirus cases are rising steadily across the country. The positivity ratio has crossed 2pc while daily deaths are once again in double digits. The rate of those testing positive for the coronavirus has increased after being less than 2pc for six weeks, as per Planning Minister and head of the NCOC Asad Umar.
In Punjab province, the authorities fear a second wave is imminent as daily cases surged to a 30-day high and five critical patients succumbed to the virus overnight. In Sindh, too, daily cases are climbing, with some days seeing more than 400 confirmed cases in the province.
Daily tests have been under 30,000 - a sorry figure considering the sheer size of our population. While the government statistics suggest two out of every 100 patients tested are positive, testing is still abysmally low.
According to numbers compiled by some international Covid-19 trackers, Pakistan's daily testing at 0.14 per thousand is among the lowest in the world. This means that the confirmed cases being recorded by labs and collated by the government are just a fraction of the true number. Given the high transmission rate of the virus, if the spread is not controlled now, hospitalisations and deaths can once again jump and overwhelm the healthcare system.
While these grim figures are very much a reality, if one were to go into commercial or public spaces in the country, it would appear as if Covid-19 has been defeated. SOPs are being openly flouted, and distancing and face coverings are a rarity - a casual attitude which is sadly seen in members of the government as well as opposition politicians.
The prime minister recently spoke at an event where scores of attendees sat in a packed auditorium, many without masks. The opposition parties, too, are going ahead with their protest under the PDM banner, for which they are urging thousands of political workers to gather. These public figures and political leaders should be more responsible, and use their respective platforms to caution people about the dangers of contracting the virus.
The government must take the lead, and refocus its energy on Covid-19 prevention as it did during the peak - a genuine need for vigilance is why the government should dissuade the opposition from protesting, which is a democratic right. Failure to act by both sides will be a catastrophic mistake.