Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab on Monday rejected reports that Hyderabad's positivity ratio had crossed 15 per cent, saying that it was "wrong" to make such claims.

In a video message shared on his Twitter account, Wahab said that according to official data of the past few days, the positivity rate in the Hyderabad district stood at 8.7pc.

The statement comes hours after the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), in a statement, said that the Covid-19 positivity ratio was rapidly increasing in major cities, with the rate exceeding 15pc in at least three cities across the country.

According to the NCOC, Hyderabad had the highest positivity ratio in Pakistan at 16.59pc, followed by Multan with 15.97pc, Gilgit with 15.38pc, Muzaffarabad with 14.12pc, Mirpur with 11.11pc, Peshawar with 9.69pc, Quetta with 8.03pc, Islamabad with 7.48pc, Karachi with 7.12pc, Lahore with 5.37pc and Rawalpindi with 4.63pc.

"I saw these updates on TV," Wahab said in a video message, without naming the NCOC. "I investigated and checked this and I want to tell you that to say that positivity ratio in Hyderabad district is 15pc is, in my opinion, wrong. Situation is not like that.

"I want to present numbers to you: in the past 24 hours, Sindh government conducted 1,601 tests in the district, out of which 140 people's results came out positive. The positivity ratio in Hyderabad district is around 8.7pc.

"If you look at [numbers] from the past 48 hours, about 3,200 tests have been conducted and 276 people have tested positive," he said.

However, Wahab did not dismiss the seriousness of the situation reflected by recent data and urged the public to take precautions and wear masks.

"I feel that it is compulsory to feel worried about the coronavirus because, over the past few days, the way coronavirus cases have increased across the country shows us that we have to show responsibility once again," Wahab said in his video statement.

"We need to take precautions and wearing masks is compulsory now," he added.

Second wave

Last month, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan had formally announced that the second wave of Covid-19 had hit the country after active cases passed the 11,000 mark.

After the SAPM's announcement, in which he said that both the positivity and mortality rate had increased in the country, the NCOC issued new directives to curb the spread of virus, including the mandatory wearing of masks.

Yesterday, the NCOC had issued additional guidelines for marriage ceremonies to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

According to the new guidelines, participants of wedding ceremonies will have to sit at least six feet apart.

The timings of the event have been restricted to two hours with 10pm as the cutoff time. All guests will have to wear face masks and the organisers of such events will have to display the seating/gathering capacity of their venues at the entrance. Moreover, the organisers will have to take precautionary measures against dengue fever.

Thermal scanning of all attendees at the entrance as well as face masks have been declared mandatory.

Buffets have been banned and only lunch boxes and table service have been permitted. Event mangers will have to retain the names and contact details of those attending the wedding and staff for at least 15 days.

The new guidelines, which have been prepared by the Health Services Academy, National institute of Health and Health Planning, Systems Strengthening and Information Analysis Unit, will be implemented from Novembers 20 in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Hyderabad, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Peshawar, Quetta, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur and Swat.

The draft of the guidelines, available with Dawn, states that public gatherings pose a potential risk for Covid-19 infection and community transmission.

Therefore, wedding events during the epidemic should be organised while taking care of the precautions and standard operating procedures (SOPs) pertaining to gatherings to minimise the chances of the virus spreading.