Sindh govt warns of strict lockdown after fourfold increase in COVID cases

KARACHI: Amid a fourfold increase in COVID cases in Sindh during the last 30 days, the spokesman for the provincial government Murtaza Wahab Tuesday warned of imposing a strict lockdown, ARY NEWS reported.

Addressing a press conference after the COVID task force meeting headed by CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah, Murtaza Wahab said that on 26 June, COVID cases in the province stood at 511.

“After a period of 30 days, we have witnessed a fourfold increase and it reached 2,153 on 26 July,” he said and warned that the province was not able to deal with the situation if COVID cases continued a similar upward trajectory.

He shared that overall 5.4 million people have been vaccinated in the Sindh province including 3.2 million in Karachi.

“This is however very low as compared to Britain, UAE, and UK where 60 percent population is being vaccinated,” he said and shared that the province has opened walk-in vaccination centres at various places to facilitate the general public.

He rubbished aside propaganda against vaccination and said that even he and other government functionaries have received the double dose of the COVID vaccine.

He said that the government was asking for nothing but cooperation from the general public in dealing with the pandemic. “Kindly wear masks and avoid outing with elders and children to minimize the risk of getting infected,” he said.

He said that if the situation persists and people refuse to vaccinate themselves and adopt COVID SOPs, then they had to take tough decisions.

“No one should then criticize the government’s decision to impose a lockdown,” Murtaza Wahab said and warned against holding ceremonies at marriage halls secretly and said that orders for strict action against such elements are being conveyed to commissioner Karachi.