The National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH) has advised strict adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), including mask wearing and social distancing during Muharram gatherings, as Pakistan continues to remain under the grip of COVID-19.
Gatherings and majalis to remember the Shuhada-e-Karbala (martyrs of Karbala) started across the country after Pakistan sighted the Muharram moon, marking the beginning of the new Islamic year today (Sunday).
In the last 24 hours, 661 new cases of coronavirus were reported when diagnostic tests were done on 20,080 samples, NIH data showed Sunday morning.
The new cases pushed the coronavirus positivity rate in Pakistan to 3.29% and the number of total COVID-19 cases to 1,553,386.
Meanwhile, the country reported only a single death from COVID-19 overnight, NIH said.
The data showed that among COVID-19 patients, 171 are being treated in critical care units at different medical facilities across the country.
NIH has restricted the elderly and children from attending gatherings and majalis during Ashura, as the risk of another outbreak looms with the uptick of cases across Pakistan.
The following are guidelines for holding gatherings and processions:
Miscellaneous aspects
Areas of focus
Some of the aspects meriting necessary actions at the federal and federating units level, include following:
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