ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) extended the virus-induced curbs announced earlier this month until February 15, as the fifth wave of the pandemic continues unabated across the country, driven by the Omicron variant of novel coronavirus.
The NCOC, which serves as the nerve center of the government’s synchronized strategy to contain the coronavirus spread, said the single-day tally of fresh Covid cases shot above 7,000, after two days of relatively lower figures.
The NCOC reviewed coronavirus-induced standard operating procedures (SOPs) in a meeting and decided to extend the curbs until February 15. The measures include a complete ban on all types of indoor events in areas where the positivity ratio was more than 10%.
In the Covid hotspots, the NCOC had already notified that outdoor events would be restricted to 300 fully vaccinated persons. Similarly, vaccination had been made compulsory for all students above 12 years of age. It said that half of the strength of students under the age of 12 would attend classes.
The NCOC said that 52% of the eligible population had been vaccinated against infectious diseases. According to a statement, the number of the eligible population was 153.6 million, out of whom 83 million people had been vaccinated. The NCOC said that 23.5 million people had been partially vaccinated.
Most of the new cases, 2,488, emerged in Sindh, followed by 1,842 cases in Punjab and 1,446 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), according to the NCOC. The forum also said that the highest number of deaths, 12, also occurred in Sindh, followed by 7 in Punjab and 6 in K-P.
