Pakistan lifts all coronavirus-related restrictions

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar on Tuesday announced that the government is lifting all coronavirus-related restrictions in the country.

Addressing a press conference, flanked by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, he said that coronavirus cases in the country are constantly declining, while 70% of the population has been vaccinated.

The federal minister was of the view that the pandemic is not over yet; however, it is in its “ending phase.”

On Wednesday, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data showed that 493 COVID-19 cases were reported in the last 24 hours while the positivity ratio was 1.42%.

Earlier, the government had also decided to shut down the NCOC by the end of next month and the responsibilities of the NCOC will be carried out by the National Institute of Health.

Umar said that during the NCOC meeting today, the situation of the pandemic was reviewed in detail and it was observed that since the last eight weeks the positivity ratio has been declining and the number of patients in critical care units is also declining.

“The number of patients in critical care dropped to the lowest level since October 2020,” he said, adding that the number is expected to decrease further in the coming days.

Shedding light on the vaccination, he said that around 87% of the population has taken the first jab of the vaccine.

“Keeping in view all of this we now need a transition to move towards a normal life because it seems like the pandemic will continue and become a part of the day-to-day life,” he said, announcing that all restrictions have been lifted.

The planning minister said: "We have decided that all restrictions we have imposed related to the coronavirus on weddings, indoor dining and markets, we are ending all of them."

He added, however, that all restrictions on those not vaccinated against the coronavirus would remain.

However, Umar clarified that the removal of restrictions "doesn't mean the pandemic is over" and the government would continue to monitor the situation.

He admitted that the NCOC understands that lifting of restriction would affect the number of cases; however, the decision has been taken after a lot of deliberation.

Terming this decision as a “biggest stage,” he congratulated the nation for facing the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19.

Felicitates all stakeholders involved

The federal minister, who also heads the NCOC, especially mentioned the contributions of the healthcare workers, especially female healthcare personnel during the pandemic to save precious lives.

Umar also added that all governments, federal and provincial, worked collectively during this time. Pakistan Army, he said, had a very big role as all the operational work of the NCOC was the responsibility of a special army contingent.

The federal minister also acknowledged the efforts of the judiciary for its support and scholars for the way they conveyed pandemic-related messaging to the people.

‘Pressure on healthcare system has decreased’

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Faisal Sultan said the pressure on the health system has decreased and there was no "clear sign" that the disease prevalence would increase again.

Emphasising the need to get vaccinated, he said that in order to keep "safe" it is important that all people should get vaccinated.

He said: "We will continuously keep monitoring the situation and see where cases are [increasing] globally and in Pakistan and if a change in strategy is needed.”