KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah recently said that the increase in Covid-19 cases across the province may be linked to major religious events as well as opening of all business and educational activities.
"We can contain spike in the cases through strict implementation of standard operating procedures; otherwise it would hit new highs in the country," he said while participating through video link in the 17th meeting of the National Coordination Committee held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Mahar, Home Secretary Usman Chachar, Commissioner Sohail Rajput and other officials were also present along with the CM.
Briefing the meeting, the chief minister said that till October 11, Karachi division had 2,742 actives cases, Hyderabad division 462, Larkana division 108, Sukkur division 129, Shaheed Benazirabad division 130, Mirpurkhas division 182 cases and 954 cases were yet to be ascertained.
Given the ratio of the last five days in the country, he said that 4.3 per cent cases were detected from Karachi division, 3.24pc Hyderabad and 1.73pc from other districts of the province.
The CM said that Sindh had conducted over 1.46 million tests, which were the highest in the country.
He said that Punjab had conducted 1.37m tests, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 407,304, Balochistan 112,580, Islamabad 407,479, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 52,317 andGilgit-Baltistan conducted 37,304 tests.
He added that the testing capacity in Sindh had been enhanced to 20,000 per day.
-DN Report
Dr Muattar Hanif
The author is Editor at Dental News Pakistan and can be reached at newsdesk@medicalnewsgroup.com.pk
