Nearly 4,800 positive for the coronavirus – the highest number since July last year
The number of positive coronaviruses touched almost 4,800 in a single day for the first time since July 2020. The third wave of COVID-19 is badly affecting Pakistan with the UK strain of the virus present in the country. Another 57 people lost their lives to the virus yesterday.
The current positivity rate is nearly 11% which is highly alarming. There are over 200 critical cases in the country. One of the greater risks is hospitals running out of capacity if the number of cases continues to mount at this rate. Nearly 2,700 people recovered from the virus as well.
SOPs must be followed
The virus cannot be contained if the people keep on violating the SOPs put in place. Wearing a facemask in public places and regularly washing your hands and face are an absolute must. At the same time, it is crucial that unnecessary gatherings are avoided and people stay home when possible. NCOC has placed a ban on marriages effective April 5th, as people are violating SOPs and such functions are proving to be breeding grounds for new cases.
The vaccine is coming but
The vaccines for the virus are now available worldwide and are coming to Pakistan as well. Initially, they were administered to the frontline healthcare workers. Now, people over the age of 50 can get them from the various government facilities without any charges. Registration at 1166 is enough for this. For now, these centers are available in the more populous cities of the country. Vaccines will also be available privately soon, for a price.
The availability of the vaccine and its administration should slow down the spread of the virus. However, antibodies do not form overnight and it will be months before a significant number of people will be immune against the novel coronavirus. until then, people should extremely careful for their own sake.