EDITORIAL: Health officials said on Thursday that 129 cases of coronavirus infections were reported in the previous 24 hours.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), some 4,334 tests were conducted in different cities, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore, that showed an overall positivity ratio of 2.98 percent, with Lahore posting the highest rate at 8.22 percent, followed by Islamabad with 4.20 percent and Rawalpindi with 1.33 percent. And that at least 14 of the infected persons were in a critical condition.
No one has died from Covid-19 so far. There is no mention whether such tests were carried out in other parts of the county, and if not why not?
Also not known is the source of these infections or the identity of the coronavirus strain causing infections. Presumably, it is a new form of the virus which is said to be not as virulent as its previous variants, but is highly contagious.
In any event, the government should be taking necessary measures to check its spread. But it appears to be blasé about this emerging threat to public health.
The Federal Minister for Health Services, Qadir Patel, came out on Thursday to state that the surveillance system at all ports of entry was in place, and that there would be rapid testing and screening of all passengers at airports.
He also claimed that the situation was under control, telling the people not to pay heed to rumours. For its part, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), which during the previous three waves of the deadly disease had done a commendable job of organising a countrywide vaccination drive, has sufficed to suggest wearing of face masks in crowded and tightly enclosed places, including healthcare facilities.
Sceptics are not to blame if they see this rather casual official attitude towards the resurgence of Covid-19 as just another ruse to defer elections for the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies scheduled for October 8 and May 28, respectively.
The minister seemed to reinforce that view when he declared that the situation was under control and asked the people not to pay any attention to ‘rumours’. The statistics put out by the NHC show it is a clear and present threat.
The government ought to act quickly to control infections before they proliferate all over the country. To that end, it should immediately start a public awareness campaign and also reactivate the vaccination centres.
Let the health experts explain if there is no need for vaccinations, and facemasks are enough to provide protection.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023