Tag: SOPs breach

  • 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.

  • Pakistan’s coronavirus positivity rate back up at 3 per cent

    Pakistan’s coronavirus positivity rate passed the three per cent mark Wednesday morning for the first time in the last 20 days. 

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

    According to the latest statistics by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 46,287 Covid-19 tests were conducted across the country in the last 24 hours, out of which 1,517 people tested positive for the virus.

    The NCOC had warned of strict restrictions as it has observed violation of coronavirus SOPs in several sectors following the relaxation of curbs.

  • 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%.

  • Saheefa Jabbar takes offence at Ramzan transmissions for being problematic

    Saheefa Jabbar takes offence at Ramzan transmissions for being problematic

    Saheefa Jabbar Khattak has called out Ramzan Transmissions for having problematic content and not following COVID-19 SOPs.

    The model-turned-actor, in a series of Instagram stories, said that on one hand, the government and the public are trying their best to follow SOPs, make compromises on their luxurious lifestyle and give up all activities to contain the spread of the virus. But on other, the Ramzan transmissions are allowing large people gathering which will be a serious threat to the life of people.

    “COVID is at its peak. Cricket leagues are getting cancelled, countries in the subcontinent are going into lockdown and strict curfews are imposed on peoples everywhere — we are well in the middle of this horrendous and treacherous third wave,” said Saheefa urging everyone to follow SOPs and wear a mask at all times.

    Khattak then pointed out how she read somewhere how social distancing was a privilege.

    “It means you live in a house large enough to practice it. Hand washing is a privilege too. It means you have access to water. Hand sanitisers are a privilege. It means you have the money to buy them,” she said.

    Saheefa also took the opportunity to highlight the problematic content in Ramazan transmissions.

    VIDEO: Aamir Liaquat sings ‘Laila o Laila’ on the sets of Ramzan transmission

    “They do not follow protocols and are filmed on sets where crews as large as 60 to 70 people are not quarantined and don’t operate inside a bio secure environment. This is a blatant breach of government policy and just shows our inherent insensitivity to the situation,” protested Khattak.

    “Rather, they seem hellbent on ridiculing and insulting human beings in the name of entertainment and profit. It’s crass, rude, and has zero respect for human dignity. I’m sorry but this frustrates me a lot!” she added.

    Khattak also presented a solution to the problem, suggesting that the airtime can be used to “spread awareness about COVID and enforce message sent out by the government.”

    “There was no better time to do it in Ramazan, but no, how would people win a Corolla then?” she sighed, reminding people to take the pandemic seriously.

    “Spend Eid while practicing social distancing, recognise your privilege and try to see through the lies we consume through the magic box!” concluded Saheefa.

    Meanwhile, according to the latest statistics by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 4,109 cases of COVID-19 and 120 deaths were recorded in past 24 hours. The positivity ratio in the country is at 8.54 percent.

  • 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.

  • Priyanka Chopra reportedly defies lockdown rules in London to visit the salon

    Priyanka Chopra reportedly defies lockdown rules in London to visit the salon

    Priyanka Chopra Jonas has come under fire for defying lockdown and COVID-19 rules in London and visiting a salon. The United Kingdom has been put under total lockdown once again after a new strain of the coronavirus, more lethal than the first, was detected.

    PC, who was shooting for Text For You in London was stranded there due to the lockdown rules. According to reports, she visited a salon in Notting Hill with her mother Madhu Chopra. Spas and salons do not come under basic necessities and after pictures of her visit were widely circulated on social media, they caught the attention of the cops and authorities.

    As per details, the cops reached the salon and confronted the owner. Giving a verbal warning to the owner, they urged them to follow SOPs.

    When then Quantico star was confronted, Priyanka said that she had a valid reason to visit the salon. She had to colour her hair for her upcoming film and the salon was opened only for some private appointments. She was not fined because she was out for work purposes.

    Later, in an official statement, the actor’s spokesperson said Priyanka visited the salon for the purpose of the film and the exemption paperwork allowing her to be at the facility was provided to the police.

    “Following government guidance, Priyanka’s hair was coloured for the purpose of the film she is currently shooting in London. The salon was opened privately for the production and everyone involved had been tested and followed both the DCMS working guidelines and the film production regulations.

    “Film and TV production is permitted to continue in the UK, and locations can continue to accommodate shoots and recces that are carried out in line with government guidelines. The exemption paperwork legally permitting her to be there was provided to the police, and they left satisfied,” the spokesperson added.

    Read more – ‘Remove Priyanka Chopra as goodwill ambassador,’ Mazari writes to UNICEF director

    Meanwhile, the police, in a statement issued said: “Police were alerted at around 17:40hrs on Wednesday, 6 January to reports of a COVID breach taking place within a hairdressers on Lansdowne Mews, Notting Hill.”

    “Officers attended and the owner of the salon was given a verbal reminder of the important need to comply with all regulations regarding Covid-19 and signposted to other sources of advice. No fixed penalty notices were issued.”

    Priyanka has some major Hollywood projects lined up back-to-back. She has The White Tiger up for release on Netflix this month and is currently shooting for a romcom Text For You. She is reportedly also part of Matrix 4 and has officially announced the sequel to We Can Be Heroes.