• District health officer says situation serious in capital
• Ministry official warns of reimposing restrictions if SOPs not followed
• Only 9,000 healthcare workers have so far received jabs

ISLAMABAD: The federal capital saw an increase in positivity ratio from last week’s 2.65pc to 4.1pc, as 190 more people contracted Covid-19 in a single day.

The positivity rate has increased by three times in the last one month.

On the other hand, out of the 24,000 frontline healthcare workers who have registered themselves for vaccination, only 9,000 have received the jabs.

Meanwhile, two patients succumbed to the virus in Rawalpindi on Sunday and 35 more tested positive.

The health departments fear that the situation may worsen in the next few weeks unless people start adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) otherwise the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) will have to reconsider its Feb 24 decision of easing restrictions.

According to a document, available with Dawn, in the first week of January the positivity rate was 3.79pc but then it gradually started decreasing and reached to 1.57pc in the second week of February. However it again began to rise and reached 4.15pc in the first week of March.

The rate is measured on the basis of positive cases in 100 samples.

An official of the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS), requesting not to be named, said the positivity ratio has increased by three times in just one month.

“We fear that we are moving towards the third wave of the pandemic as only 83 cases were reported on Feb 22 but on Sunday the number has swelled to 190. We can stop the trend by ensuring that every person follows the SOPs or restrictions would be imposed again,” he said.

It is worth mentioning here that on Feb 24 the NCOC had relaxed most coronavirus-related restrictions on commercial activities and workplaces. Under the directives, time limit on commercial activities had been lifted and condition of 50pc attendance at workplaces removed. Permission to hold indoor wedding ceremonies and opening of cinemas and shrines has been granted with effect from March 15. The decision to allow indoor dining will depend on the outcome of a review meeting to be held on March 10.

The Election Commission of Pakistan had also been allowed to hold local bodies and cantonment board elections by the end of May or early June. However, since the relaxation in restrictions, the number of cases has been continuously rising.

The ministry official said around 24,000 frontline healthcare workers have registered themselves for vaccination in Islamabad but only 9,000 got inoculated.

“Others seem reluctant to get vaccinated,” he added.

“We can vaccinate 5,000 people in the federal capital daily but unfortunately healthcare workers are not willing to receive the vaccines,” he said.

Talking to Dawn, District Health Officer Islamabad Dr Zaeem Zia agreed that the situation was serious in Islamabad.

“However we have been trying to break the chain of the virus, therefore, a number of schools have been closed and buildings disinfected. Besides, we are vaccinating healthcare workers and are aiming to vaccinate 7,000 in the week starting from Monday (today),” he said.

Rawalpindi

Two patients died of Covid-19 on Sunday in the district and 35 people tested positive for the deadly virus.

The number of patients in the cantonment areas has increased in the last three days.

Abdul Razzaq, 70, a resident of Samot village, Kallar Syedan, was under treatment at Rawalpindi Institute of Urology since Feb 12 where he died on Sunday.

Mohammad Asif, 60, a resident of Dhoke Kala Khan, was shifted to Shifa International Hospital on March 6 but breathed his last on Sunday.

In Rawalpindi district, there are 494 active patients out of whom 174 are in hospitals and 320 home isolated. As many as 446 patients are waiting for their Covid-19 serology results.

As many as 10 patients were admitted to Holy Family Hospital, 12 were in Benazir Bhutto Hospital, 26 in Rawalpindi Institute of Urology, 19 in Fauji Foundation Hospital, three patients were under treatment in Red Crescent Corona Care Centre and five in Hearts International Hospital.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that there were nine patients on ventilators, 42 on oxygen and 24 were stable.

He said 18,139 people had tested positive since March 2020 and 789 have died in Rawalpindi Division.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2021