Asad Umar warns govt will place stronger COVID-19 restrictions if people do not comply with SOPs

Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar has warned that if people do not follow coronavirus Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS), then the government will be forced to place stronger restrictions on activities.

The minister said this following the rising coronavirus cases the country has been witnessing for the past week. On Thursday, Pakistan's coronavirus positivity ratio jumped to 7.8% after 3,495 people tested positive for the novel virus during the past 24 hours. The coronavirus also claimed 61 more lives in 24 hours, taking the death toll to 13,717.

In a tweet, Umar said that the daily admission of people in hospitals and in critical care is rising fast. He said the new strain spreads faster and is more deadly. "If sop compliance does not improve, we will be forced to place stronger restrictions on activities. Please be very very careful. The new strain spreads faster and is more deadly," Umar tweeted.

As the country witnesses the third wave of the deadly virus, the provincial governments have issued new coronavirus SOPS. Several cities across the country have been placed under lockdown to curb the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has said that coronavirus appears likely to develop into a seasonal disease. The 16-member team set up by the UN' World Meteorological Organisation tasked with examining potential meteorological and air quality influences on the spread of Covid-19, found some indications the disease would develop into a seasonal menace, AFP reported.