The third wave of COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc in Pakistan as it reported 5,611 new infections in the last 24 hours, according to the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC).
Furthermore, 118 people succumbed to death taking the total fatalities to 17,117. The positivity rate in the country has hit 10.17 per cent.
As many as 3,324 people also recovered from the deadly virus in the country, taking the tally for recoveries to 689,812.
Keeping in mind the current situation, NCOC is considering the enforcement of a lockdown in cities with high positivity rates, according to a statement released on Saturday.
The statement follows an NCOC session held earlier today, with Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar in the chair. According to the NCOC statement, in light of increasing coronavirus cases, the forum “deliberated upon proposed lockdowns in high disease prevalence cities”.
The statement made no mention of what positivity ratio the forum considers high enough to warrant a lockdown. The NCOC clarified that talks would be held with stakeholders before a lockdown is imposed.
The restrictions, if enforced, would include the closure of markets, malls, less essential services, a ban on intercity public transport, and a complete closure of educational institutions.
