Health experts recommend 15-day lockdown in Karachi
Covid-19 infection rate in the city shoots to 30%
Photo: Online
Doctors and health experts have recommended a 15-day lockdown in Karachi after the coronavirus infection rate in the city rose to 30%.
They said a complete curfew-like lockdown should be imposed in the city and all types of movement should be banned.
According to Sindh spokesperson Murtaza Wahab, the recommendations were given to the coronavirus task force and the government will only decide after overviewing the situation. “We want to give the public another chance before taking any tough decision,” he said in a press conference Wednesday.
Wahab appealed to the people to get vaccinated against the virus and strictly follow Covid-19 SOPs. “Most of Karachi’s public and private hospitals have reached their limit and won’t be able to take more patients.”
On Tuesday, the government decided to restrict unnecessary movement in Karachi after 6pm. According to Health Secretary Dr Kazim Jatoi, the Covid detection ratio in the province has reached 12.7%, which was the highest in the fourth wave.
The coronavirus positivity ratio across Pakistan has, on the other hand, increased to 7.8%. The country has reported over 4,000 cases in a day for the first time since May this year.
How to protect yourself
Vaccines aren’t a perfect defence. Some fully vaccinated people needed hospital treatment and died after catching the variant.
This variant’s advantage over the Alpha one is its ability to partially evade the immune system in people who are already vaccinated.
The guidelines to avoid exposure to the new variant are the same:
- Sanitize hands more often
- Wear a mask
- Avoid public gatherings
- Get vaccinated as soon as possible
- Avoid meeting people with symptoms
- Avoid unnecessary travel
