The total active COVID-19 cases in Pakistan on Thursday were recorded 9,209 as 756 more people tested positive for the deadly virus during the last 24 hours.
As many as 13 corona patients, 11 of whom were under treatment died in hospital and two died out of hospital on Wednesday, according to the latest update issued by the National command and Operation Centre (NCOC).
Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar Thursday warned there are signs warning of the rise of corona in the country and the government may have to take “restrictive actions” to curb the spread, which will have “negative effects” on the livelihoods of the people.
Minister Asad Umar tweeted the national positivity of COVID-19 cases was 2.37% on Wednesday, which was the highest in more than 50 days.
The minister, who also oversees Pakistan’s response to the pandemic, said 11 virus deaths on average have been reported during the first four days of this week, the highest since August 10.
These are the “unmistakable signs of the rise of corona” in Pakistan, he said.
Several other quarters, other than the minister, are also talking about the rise of the virus. Earlier this week, the Pakistan Medical Association warned that a second coronavirus wave could hit the country this winter. The PMC warned authorities and the general public about the foreseeable second spike of coronavirus, saying that it is likely to start from educational institutions as it happened in the US, India, and Iran.
“Unfortunately, the government’s response so far is limited to the issuance of notifications of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), whose implementation is non-existent anywhere including schools,” said a PMA office-bearers at a press conference. The virus has started spreading across the country.