CM urges people to avoid visiting relatives in Eid in view of pandemic

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has urged the people not to visit their relatives on Eidul Fitr because the detection rate of Covid-19 cases had risen to 30 per cent after the last year’s Eid holidays.

“I would suggest to all the people to stay home and enjoy Eid with your immediate family members – this is the only way to contain COVID-19 and save others”, he said while presiding over a meeting of the Provincial Task Force on Coronavirus at the CM House on Wednesday.

At the outset of the meeting, a comparison of the Covid-19 cases during the holidays of the last Eidul Fitr was made which showed that the Covid-19 detection rate had risen to 30 per cent. The last Eidul Fitr was celebrated on May 24, 2020 and on that day, there were 846 or 15 per cent positive cases. Just after Eid, the ratio of positive cases went on increasing and within 18 days it reached 3,038 cases.

The meeting observed that the reason behind the abnormal spike in cases was violations of the standard operating procedures. The CM urged the people of Sindh to celebrate Eid with their immediate family members and avoid going out to meet relatives. “This is the only way to protect everyone,” he said.

Sharing the data of Ramazan 2020, Health Secretary Kazim Jatoi said that in the first week of that Ramazan, 12.57 per cent new cases were detected with 44 deaths. In the second week, the detection ratio increased to 14.34 per cent with 50 deaths.

In the third week the detection ratio was 15.49 per cent with 79 deaths and in the fourth week, 16.99 per cent new cases emerged. A total of 15,554 cases were reported against 103,433 tests during the last year’s Ramazan with an overall 15.04 per cent detection rate, and 250 patients deaths. Analyzing the indicators of the current Ramazan from April 12 to May 9, 2021, the meeting was told that in the first week of Ramzan, 4.71 per cent cases were detected with 23 deaths, in the second week 6.31 per cent cases with 43 deaths, in the third week 6.96 per cent cases and 62 deaths, and in the fourth week 7.08 per cent cases and 64 deaths.

A total of 370,096 tests were conducted during Ramazan, against which 23,551 cases were detected that constituted a 6.36 per cent detection rate, and 192 patients of Covid-19 died. Sharing the weekly district-wise positive cases data, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho said District East of Karachi had a detection rate of 23 per cent, District South 15 per cent, District Central and Hyderabad 11 per cent each, Dadu nine per cent, Sukkur, Larkana, Ghotki, District Malir and District West six per cent each, District Korangi five per cent, Mirpurkhas four per cent, and Thatta, Kashmore, Badin and Khairpur had three per cent each.

The provincial government has received 862,000 doses of Sinopharm, 11,000 doses of Casino, 80,000 doses of SinoVac and 107,500 doses of AstraZeneca and they have been provided to the vaccination centres.

The CM in consultation with the participants of the meeting decided to allow restaurants to offer takeaway service while ensuring the SOPs. At the restaurants, nobody would get out of the vehicle to collect food as it would be given by the restaurant staff.

He warned that any restaurant found violating the SOPs would be sealed.

The meeting was also attended by provincial ministers Syed Nasir Shah and Jam Ikram, Law Adviser Murtaza Wahab, Parliamentary Secretary Qasim Siraj Soomro, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IG Sindh Mushtaq Maher, ACS Home Usman Chachar, Commissioner Karachi Navid Shaikh, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Additional IG Karachi Imran Minhas, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary School Education Ahmed Bux Narejo, Dr Abul Bari, Dr Faisal Mehmood, Dr Qaiser Sajjad, Dow University Vice Chancellor Dr Saeed Qureshi and representatives from Corps 5, Rangers and WHO.