Health ministry issues guidelines for cattle markets, Eid ul Azha congregations

ISLAMABAD: National Ministry of Health has issued COVID guidelines to be followed during Eid-ul-Azha besides expressing concern that cattle markets could become a source of virus spread in the country, ARY NEWS reported on Tuesday.

According to the guidelines issued by the federal health ministry, there are concerns regarding virus spread from cattle markets and called for strict implementation on COVID SOPs in them nationwide.

“Social distancing should be ensured at the cattle markets besides also implementing directives regarding facemask,” the ministry said adding that the temperature of those entering the market should be checked other than sanitizing the hands of the visitors.

Those selling and purchasing sacrificial animals at the market should be vaccinated, it said.

The guidelines further feared that Eid-ul-Azha congregations could also become mass spreaders besides also asking people to refrain from attending family functions on the festive occasion.

It is pertinent to mention here that the COVID-19 positivity rate has gone down to 1.78 per cent in Pakistan during the last 24 hours, ARY News reported, quoting the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

The pandemic has claimed 23 more lives in Pakistan during the last 24 hours, pushing the nationwide death toll to 22,254.

A total of 735 new cases of the virus emerged when 41,133 samples were tested during this period, taking the country’s caseload to 956,392.

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said the Covid-19 infection rate was recorded at 1.78%.

The number of people who have recovered from the disease since the first case of the pandemic was reported in the country climbed to 901,985 after 784 more people recuperated in the last 24 hours.