Coronavirus situation: Asad Umar says no improvement seen in Karachi

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said on Friday that the country witnessed a reduction in the number of coronavirus cases and associated deaths due to people following the government-defined standard operating procedures (SOPs) and health guidelines.

Speaking at a media briefing at the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), he said smart lockdowns imposed in the worst-affected areas across the country are bearing fruit as fewer Covid-19 patients visited hospitals.

He expressed the hope that if people stick to the SOPs, then there will be less than 400,000 cases in the country by the end of July.

Asad Umar said there was no improvement in terms of the number of infections being reported in Sindh, particularly Karachi. He said they are engaged with the provincial authorities to improve the situation there as well.

He pointed out that the number of Corona patients in hospitals today are less than those seen in the midst of June.

The minister stressed that the situation could further improve if the people continue to follow the precautionary measures, lauding the efforts put in by the administration and provincial governments to ensure compliance of the SOPs.