The forum also discussed the rising number of cases of coronavirus in the country and how to better adapt NPIs at the grass-root level
The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) is considering reviewing the reopening of Cinemas, indoor weddings, and dining in restaurants in early April, as the number of Coronavirus cases in the country is once again on the rise.
It was earlier expected that the aforementioned activities will be allowed from March 15th onward. NCOC will also consider modalities for reopening schools in wake of the rising number of cases in the country.
The meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar. National Coordinator Lieutenant General Hamood Uz Zaman Khan was also present during the proceedings.
NCOC also looked into the progress of vaccination as well as the national strategy with representatives from all provinces participating through video link. The forum also discussed the rising cases as the public is failing to benefit from Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs). The importance and implementation of the NPIs were stressed upon and ways to ensure their adoption by the masses were discussed.
Dr Faisal Sultan warned that the “COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in Pakistan are increasing once again. The decline seen over the past 2 months is clearly reversing as positivity has gone up from 3.31% to 4.16% within a week.”