-Yasmin Rashid credits strict SOPs implementation for decrease in Punjab cases
-74 deaths, 3,084 new cases reported across Pakistan
-CanSino Vaccine to be available for citizens by end of May
-NCOC urges masses to adopt safe tourism policy as restrictions ease from today
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: After successful strategy being implemented during Eid-ul-Fitar holidays, Pakistan registered remarkable decline in COVID positivity ratio that fell below 5% according to an official data released by NCOC on Sunday.
The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of 74 more people across the country over the last 24 hours, taking the death toll from the disease to 20,251.
According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data, the national tally of confirmed cases rose to 900,552 with 3,084 more testing positive for the virus during the same period.
A total of 62,061 samples were tested, out of which 3,084 turned out to be positive. The positivity ratio was recorded at 4.96%. 3,826 more people recuperated from the disease, pushing the number of those recovering to 817,681.
There were 4,392 infected patients in critical care in various hospitals in the past 24 hours. Thus far, Punjab has reported 333,971 COVID-19 cases, Sindh 308,118, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 129,413, Islamabad 80,312, Balochistan 24,517, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 18,739 and Gilgit Baltistan 5,482.
Earlier, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had issued safety guidelines for tourists to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. The NCOC special session was chaired by National Coordinator Lieutenant General Hamood uz Zaman Khan held here where the forum took detailed stock of implementation strategy of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) being enforced with special focus on opening up of Tourism Sector from May 24 (today).
The forum urged the public to resort to “SAFE TOURISM” policy of strict adherence to health guidelines and safety protocols devised by the forum aimed to curb disease spread of deadly coronavirus.
According to NCOC guidelines, the potential tourists should ensure that they are healthy and physically fit before embarking on the journey. The NCOC in its guidelines said that mandatory collection of Negative PCR/COVID-19 report along with CNICs by hotels/guesthouses management should be ensured before booking of rooms.
Meanwhile, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid on Sunday cited the strict implementation of coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) as the reason behind declining case numbers in the province, saying “we are in a very comfortable situation at the moment.”
Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, she said the number of Covid-19 patients who were being discharged and sent home was now greater than the number of patients being admitted to hospitals.
You will start to realise that the number of cases has fallen because there was very strict implementation of SOPs and a complete lockdown in the last week of Ramazan.”
Rashid said the testing capacity of the province had also been increased after concerns were expressed that fewer cases might be reported due low testing numbers, adding that the capacity would be maintained between 28,000 to 30,000 tests every day.
