NCOC decides to end lockdown in Sindh on Aug 9

• Sindh CM hosts NCOC meeting in Karachi 

• 67 cases emerged from 6 major cities 

• 1,195 patients In Karachi under critical care

• Karachi accounts 79 percent cases in Sindh 

• Karachi still has 21.4% cases 

• Country was likely to witness a rise in disease

KARACHI Aug 7,2021 – The National Command and Control Operations Center (NCOC) has decided to end the lockdown in Sindh on August 9. However, country was likely to witness a rise in disease during the coming weeks of August if SOPs were not followed

A joint meeting of the National Command and Operations Center was held at the Chief Minister’s House hosted by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Sindh, Federal Minister Asad Umar, Lieutenant General Hamoodul Zaman, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister C-Pak Khalid Mansoor, Major General Mahmood, Dr Faisal and others.

Pakistan is currently experiencing the fourth wave of COVID-19 amid Indian Delta variant, which is on an upward trajectory, especially significant rise is witnessed in Karachi.

Based on high positivity, hospital inflow and pressure on critical care occupancy has increased, therefore the Sindh government placed stringent measures for control of rising disease situation in the province, especially in Karachi from 31 July – 8th August 21, the meeting was told.

67 cases emerged from 6 major cities

It was pointed out that 67 percent of total positive cases have emerged from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Hyderabad.

Sindh reaches 80 percent of capacity in hospitals

It was disclosed that in Sindh all-time highest numbers, High Flow oxygen occupancy nearly reached 80 percent of capacity despite the ramp. The pressure on the health care system was expected to continue for weeks, therefore the addition of more beds in the healthcare system was decided and urged the health department that the capacity utilization be kept below 70 percent to avoid the pressure. It was pointed out that a similar pressure was also building up in KPK and Punjab.

1,195 patients In Karachi under critical care

The meeting was told that in Karachi 1,195 patients were in critical care on August 6 and within two days their number increased to 1,210 on August 8. The chief minister said that he has added 165 beds in the critical care system of Karachi and now the number has increased to 404.

The meeting was told that the hospitals in the country were under pressure. During the current week 562 patients have been admitted in hospitals all over Pakistan. In Sindh alone 176 patients were admitted and 159 in Punjab, 175 in KPK, and 36 in Islamabad 13 in AJK, and four in Balochistan. It was pointed out that on average over 500 patients were being admitted in hospitals on a daily basis in addition to 70 to 80 patients in critical care on a daily basis in the country.

Karachi accounts 79 percent cases in Sindh

The NCOC sharing positive cases disclosed that Karachi accounts for 79 percent cases in the province. During the current week Karachi has 1,0591 positive cases that constituted 21.4 percent and Hyderabad has 15 percent.

It was pointed out that in Sindh cases had increased between July 26 to August 1.  Karachi had 21 percent cases which increased to 23.2 percent. Similarly, Hyderabad increased from 6.6 percent to 11.7 percent, Badin from 4.7 percent to 10.8 percent, Thatta increased from 3.7 percent to 7.5, Tharparkar increased from 2.7 percent to 8.1 percent, Sanghar 5.1 percent to 7.6 percent, Matiari 2.7 percent to 6.3 percent, Jamshoro increased from 3.4 percent to 6.9 percent, Mirpurkhas 2.4 percent to 5.7 percent and Shaheed Benazirabad from 3.5 percent to 5 percent.

Karachi 24.2% cases come down slightly to 21.4%

Sharing the ratio of positive cases and their trend, it was pointed out that Karachi had 24.2 percent cases which have come down slightly to 21.4 percent during the current week. Muzaffarabad had shown an increase from 17.5 percent to 19.2 percent, Rawalpindi increased from 10.3 percent to 17.7 percent, Peshawar increased from 13 percent to 16.3 percent, Hyderabad 10.4 percent to 15 percent, Mirpur has shown a decline from 10.9 to 10.7, Islamabad has shown an increase from 9 percent to 10.3 percent.

Currently, 102 patients are on ventilators in Karachi, one in Hyderabad, 22 in Rawalpindi, 36 in Peshawar, 43 in Islamabad, 20 in Bahawalpur and 10 in Gujranwala.

Karachi has 1569 or 20.88 percent COVID cases, Hyderabad 164 or 15.36 percent cases, Rawalpindi 219 or 27.24 percent cases, Peshawar 222 or 17.34 percent cases, Muzaffarabad 57 or 23.65 percent cases and Mirpur 33 or 19.53 percent cases.

In Sindh the positivity percentage has come down from 13.7 percent to 11.9 percent. AJK has shown an increase from 23.6 percent to 26 percent, Balochistan has also come down from 4.9 percent to 4.4 percent, GB has come down from 10.4 percent to 8.7 percent, Punjab has shown an increase in the cases from 4.6 percent to 5.4 percent but KPK has come down from 4.8 percent to 4.2 percent and Islamabad has shown an increase of 10.6 percent to 12.1 percent.

Mortality rate: The meeting was told that mortality has also started to rise again after a consistent downward trend for two weeks in the country.

During the last six days 63 patients have died on average. It was pointed out that the rising death toll was likely to continue until the load on critical care subsided.

The mortality trend shows that from 5 July to 1 August, some 285 patients died in the Punjab, 489 in Sindh, 125 in KPK, 24 in Islamabad, 39 in AJK and 14 in Balochistan.

The meeting was told through presentations that the country was likely to witness a rise in disease during the coming weeks of August if SOPs were not followed; hence necessitate adherence to SOPs to arrest chances of further spread.

The meeting also agreed to issue SOPs for Muharram starting from August 9 2021.