Pakistan tightens restrictions to halt the spread of the third pandemic wave. Recently, The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) placed a ban on interprovincial transport during weekends. This will continue from 10th April to 25th April. Although, some exemptions are provided for emergency and medical transportation.
According to data from the NCOC, the third wave of the coronavirus strengthened its hold in Pakistan. On Saturday. approximately 5,000 people reported positive for the virus (NCOC). According to the NCOC, 81 people have lost their lives to coronavirus. Out of these 81 deaths, 74 took place in the hospitals.
On April 4, the cumulative number of active cases in the world had risen to 60,072. On April 3, Pakistan performed 55,605 studies. So far, 613,058 people have recovered from the outbreak. However, the estimated number of deaths has increased to 14,778 with the addition of 81 new casualties.
On April 6, the Sindh government announced the suspension of in-person classes for pre-kindergarten to grade 8 students. As reported by Sindh Education Minister, Saeed Ghani, the restrictions will be in effect for two weeks. Moreover, he added that educational institutions could continue their coursework online or through other means during that period.
International travel regulations:
Furthermore, due to the intensity of the situation, the Civil Aviation Authority has implemented restrictions, which will take action from 6th April. There are actually 20 countries in category-A that don\’t require travellers to have negative PCR tests before travelling to Pakistan. These include naming a few; Australia, Bhutan, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Nepal, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore.
The number of countries in category C increased from 12 to 22 tourists. Without special approval, these countries are not permitted to enter Pakistan. Any country that isn\’t in category A or C is immediately assigned to category B, and travellers from these countries must obtain a negative PCR test no later than 72 hours before their trip to Pakistan.
Pakistan is now experiencing the third outbreak of the pandemic; which officials have labelled as \”very harmful.\” COVID-19 active cases have reached 61,450, the highest level since July 2020, when Pakistan\’s first wave peaked. Similarly, the number of patients in need of critical care has increased to 3,587, the largest number since the coronavirus epidemic began.
Third-wave for harmful for children:
Children have a smaller mortality risk than adults, according to health authorities, but since they may be possible vectors of the virus, they have become a significant source of disease transmission. The virus can also harm newborns, according to health experts. During this period, doctors say, there are reports of lung infection in children who are showing signs of the virus.
