Tag: Coronavirus Sops

  • NCOC asks for cooperation as pilgrims return from Iraq, refuse to quarantine

    NCOC asks for cooperation as pilgrims return from Iraq, refuse to quarantine

    The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) has advised the pilgrims coming back from Iraq to undergo mandatory quarantine for their own safety.

    The statement has come after pilgrims refused to follow the Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) upon their arrival.

    Deputy Secretary-General of Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Allama Nasir Abbas, previously warned that if the quarantine restriction of those returning to Pakistan from Karbala was not lifted, then the party would go and welcome them at the airports.

    At the airport, pilgrims caused panic that other passengers had to face as well. As a result, the administration was forced to call the police to maintain the law and order situation.

    The NCOC mentioned that Iraq was placed in Category C as the spread of coronavirus was rapid there.

    “On the occasion of Arbaeen, people from across the world gather in [Karbala], therefore, the pilgrims coming back from there are a high-risk group,” NCOC stated.

  • Vietnamese court jails citizen for five years for spreading Covid-19

    Vietnamese court jails citizen for five years for spreading Covid-19

    A 28-year-old Vietnamese man has been sentenced to five years in prison for breaching coronavirus quarantine protocols and spreading the virus to others, reports Reuters.

    According to state-run Vietnam News Agency, Le Van Tri was convicted of “spreading dangerous infectious diseases” at a one-day trial on Monday at the people’s court of the southern province of Ca Mau.

    “Tri travelled back to Ca Mau from Ho Chi Minh City and breached the 21-day quarantine regulations. He infected eight people, one of whom died due to the virus after one month of treatment,” the news agency stated.

    Due to the targeted mass testing, aggressive contact tracing, tight border restrictions, and strict quarantine, Vietnam had been one of the world’s coronavirus success stories.

    Ca Mau, Vietnam’s southernmost province has reported only 191 cases and two deaths since the pandemic began, much lower than the country’s capital.

    In the past few months, the vast majority of cases and deaths were reported. So far more than 536,000 cases have been reported.

    Prior to this, the country sentenced two other people to 18-month and two-year suspended jail terms on the same charges.

  • Early signs of fourth Covid wave in Pakistan, warns Asad Umar

    Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar Friday said there are clear early signs of the fourth Covid-19 wave starting in Pakistan due to poor compliance of SOPs and the spread of the Delta variant.

    The federal minister, who is also the chief of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), said that he had warned two weeks back that the government’s artificial intelligence models are showing possible emergence of the fourth wave in July.

    Asad Umar added that field reports were showing a complete disregard of the condition of vaccination for those attending indoor weddings, and going to indoor restaurants and gyms.

    “If the owners of these facilities do not show responsibility and ensure compliance, there will be no choice but to shut them down,” said Umar.

    Pakistan recently recorded a positivity rate of 3.27 per cent. The last time the positivity rate was 3 per cent was in June.

    The present positivity rate of the virus is 3.6 per cent.

    Asad Umar expressed displeasure over non-compliance with the Covid-19 protocols and warned of shutting down sectors not adhering to the directives issued by the health authorities.

  • Karachiites ignore Covid-19 protocols, as people head to beaches to beat the heat

    Karachiites ignore Covid-19 protocols, as people head to beaches to beat the heat

    Pakistan has shown great progress in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

    However, Karachiites seemed to have completely ignored the government’s call for maintaining precautions during the third wave. Videos on social media show how crowded the beaches were on the weekend.

    People gathered at the beach to beat the heat. Temperatures regularly hover around 40 degrees and the humidity only makes it worse.

    Pakistan has only fully vaccinated 3.4 million people. The government has asked citizens to avoid crowds and maintain social distancing.

    The total number of Covid-19 cases in the country are 949,175 with positivity rate of 2.6 per cent.

  • ‘Mild symptoms and quick recovery are because of vaccination’: Shafqat Mahmood

    ‘Mild symptoms and quick recovery are because of vaccination’: Shafqat Mahmood

    Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood on Wednesday said that he has tested negative for the coronavirus and has resumed work from today.

    The minister shared the news on Twitter: “By the grace of Allah, I have fully recovered. My latest two tests are negative. Going back to work today.”

    “The mild symptoms and quick recovery are without a doubt because of the vaccination,” Mahmood tweeted. He stressed that “vaccines work and are the best defence against this horrible disease”.

    Last month, Shafqat Mahmood tested positive for coronavirus.

  • Pakistan to open vaccine registration for citizens aged 19 and above

    Pakistan to open vaccine registration for citizens aged 19 and above

    Pakistan will start registering persons aged 19 and above for coronavirus vaccination from tomorrow, May 27.

    Asad Umar tweeted that National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has decided to open vaccination registration for all citizens aged 19 and above.

    Registration will start tomorrow. “So now registration will be open for the entire national population which is approved by health experts for Covid vaccination,” tweeted Asad Umar.

    Registration for citizens aged 30 and above started on May 16.

  • Schools to reopen in districts with less than 5% covid positivity ratio: NCOC

    The National Command and Operations Centre on Wednesday allowed the reopening of schools in districts with less than five per cent coronavirus positivity ratio.

    The meeting reviewed the ongoing situation of coronavirus in the country.

    Key decisions

    From May 24, outdoor restaurants will be opened daily till 11:59 pm, and takeaway will be allowed 24/7.

    The tourism sector will be allowed to operate under strict coronavirus protocols.

    Outdoor marriage ceremonies with a limit of 150 individuals will be permitted.

    Opening of educational institutions from June 7 (other than those opened from May 24).

    Meanwhile cinemas, indoor dining, indoor gyms, amusement parks, shrines, all kinds of festivals, cultural and other events shall remain banned till further notice.

    June 1 onwards, several sectors will be allowed to open after a review meeting on May 27.

    In addition to this, the NCOC decided all SSC and HSSC exams will be held after June 20, while conducting professional and non-professional exams would take place on a case-to-case basis on recommendations from the Ministry of Education.

    The forum decided that wearing masks would remain compulsory.

    The NCOC had earlier imposed a lockdown in the country during the Eid holidays in order to stop the spread of the virus amid the deadly third wave.

  • 28 passengers on one flight test positive for coronavirus

    Twenty-eight passengers, coming from Bahrain to Peshawar, tested positive for coronavirus at the Bacha Khan International Airport on Tuesday. 

    The airport’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Obaid-ur-Rehman Abbasi said rapid antigen tests were conducted on 130 passengers who arrived at the airport from Bahrain. 

    “The passengers who tested positive for the virus have been handed over to the district administration,” he said, adding that various areas of the airport had also been disinfected after the development.

    A week earlier, the CAA had noted, “with grave concern”, that passengers arriving in Pakistan from mostly Gulf countries, were testing positive for coronavirus.

    “Upon conducting an investigation into the issue, it has been found that passengers travelled to Pakistan using fake PCR negative test results and endangered not only passengers travelling with them, but also undermined the intense efforts being made at the national level to curb the spread of Covid-19,” said the authority, in a notification that was released on May 10. 

    “The onus of contributing towards this national cause does not fall on the authority alone but is a responsibility that has to be shared by all concerned stakeholders including airline operators,” the notification stated.

    The development is a worrying one as Pakistan, like many countries around the world, continues to struggle with the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

    The current positive cases in the country stand at 882,928 with a positivity rate of 8.2%.

  • ‘Complete ban on tourism’ – NCOC’s Eid regulations

    ‘Complete ban on tourism’ – NCOC’s Eid regulations

    The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has announced a complete ban on tourism, for both locals and outsiders. The ban shall be observed from May 8-16, the week leading up to and including Eid holidays.

    All tourist resorts, formal and informal picnic spots, public parks, shopping malls; all hotels and restaurants in/around tourist/ picnic spots to remain closed.

    All travel nodes leading to tourist/picnic spots both in Northern areas and in South to remain closed. Locals, especially people belonging to Gilgit Baltistan and AJK will be allowed to travel back home.

    The NCOC will form monitoring teams at federal, provincial, and district levels to ensure the implementation of coronavirus SOPs.

    All business and shops to remain closed during this time period, with exceptions like food outlets, grocery stores, paramedics, petrol pumps and bakeries etc.

    On Monday, Pakistan witnessed a total death toll of 161 individuals, due to Covid-19. The country has recorded a total of 837,523 confirmed Covid cases, with current positivity rate of 8.9%.

  • Wasim Akram wants govt to ‘slap’ COVID-19 SOP violators

    Wasim Akram wants govt to ‘slap’ COVID-19 SOP violators

    Former captain of the Pakistan Cricket team Wasim Akram on Saturday called on authorities to give “two slaps” to people violating the coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) as only then they would understand the problem.

    Sharing a video message on coronavirus, Akram, in his quintessential Urdu-Punjabi style, hoped that people from Pakistan and across the world will be in good health in these “testing times”.

    The cricketer turned commentator said that he had “read and seen” that coronavirus cases were rising in Punjab, especially in his city Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

    “Please follow the SOPs. Why are you so stubborn?” Akram asked his followers.

    The former fast bowler said that there was also a “Plan B” in place for those not following the SOPs.

    Akram, then in Punjabi, explained that “Plan B” is to give all violators two slaps each as they would never understand in the normal manner. He sniped that the Pakistanis were just “legends”.

    The former fast bowler’s comments come as the country for a second day reported more than 4,000 cases. Most of these cases were from Punjab.

    According to data from the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 4,468 people tested positive for COVID-19 on March 26 while 67 people succumbed to the virus.

    Pakistan is currently battling its third wave of the coronavirus due to a lethal UK strain that has entered the country.