ISLAMABAD: Pakistani officials and healthcare workers on Tuesday urged the public to follow precautionary measures to stem the spread of COVID-19 as the national positivity ratio rose above seven percent, with the Pakistan Medical Association saying it was time tor the government to launch a mass vaccination campaign.
The last daily highest virus positivity rate was recorded at 7.45 percent on January 13, which then dropped to 3 percent by mid-February. On Tuesday, it crossed seven percent again.
Senior Pakistani ministers have already said the country was in the midst of a ‘third wave’ of the coronavirus pandemic, causing a spike in the number of infections and hospitalization rates across the country.
Dr. Qaisar Sajjad, secretary-general of the Pakistan Medical Association, warned the public that hospitals were fast running out of capacity due to a sharp increase in infections.
“It’s high time the government started mass vaccination across Pakistan to save precious lives and the fragile national economy,” he told Arab News.
“We are trying our best to take all necessary measures to control the infections, but it is almost impossible without public support,” Sajid Hussain Shah, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations, told Arab News on Tuesday.
He said the government had imposed smart lockdowns in virus hotspots in Islamabad and some districts of Punjab province to ensure public safety. “We request the public to strictly follow health guidelines for their own benefit,” he said.
Shah acknowledged that hospital admissions and deaths of patients suffering from COVID-19 were once again on the rise, adding that the government had increased the number of medical facilities as well to cater to more people.
The South Asian nation of 220 million on Tuesday reported 2,511 new infections and 58 deaths in the last 24 hours, while 1,895 patients were reported to be in critical condition across the country.
The country began the second phase of its coronavirus vaccination campaign last week, targeting senior citizens over the age of 60. It has also started walk-in vaccinations for people aged 70 years or older from today (Tuesday).
Previously, people had to receive a text from authorities informing them of the designated vaccination center as well as the day and time of their appointment.
Dr. Khalid Mahmood, a public health specialist at the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology, said the new virus variant was “deadlier and more lethal” than the one that came before, adding that the number of patients on ventilators was also increasing.
“We have run out of capacity and are currently working to increase the number of beds for coronavirus patients,” Mahmood, who handles COVID-19 patients, told Arab News.
He said his hospital had increased the number of coronavirus beds from 50 to 66 this week owing to the increased number of hospitalizations. “People should strictly ensure social distancing, sanitize their hands and avoid gatherings,” he said.
Talking about the vaccine, he said that most of his colleagues had got Sinopharm jabs and none of them developed any serious side effects.
“It’s a safe and effective vaccine, and people should get the jabs as early as possible to fight the virus,” he said.
