KARACHI (Sindh News Online): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has warned the traders and people of the province that they ae following the Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs), therefore he may not be left with other option but to tighten the lockdown again.
In a video message, he said that just after meeting with the traders on last Sunday and getting their assurances for implementation of SOPs in true letter and spirit he had eased off the lockdown and allowed business activities to resume within prescribed time frame. “I am sorry to say, I have received solid reports that nobody, including traders and the people is observing SOP,” he said and added “if the SOPs, as agreed between the government and the small traders, are not observed I would have no option but to withdraw the flexibility I have given for resumption of day to day businesses activities,” he said.
“I am reluctant and do not want to tighten the lockdown but you [people] are not understanding the severity of the pandemic which has spread throughout width and breadth of the province, therefore we all have to abide by the SOPs, otherwise our health system has no capacity to sustain the pressure of new positive cases.
Mr Shah said that the imposition of SOPs for doing business was aimed at saving the people from being infected and infecting others, therefore its [SOP] observance was mandatory for every one whether he/she was a trader or a customer. “Why you [people] are going out without any valid reasons,” he asked and said “we all have to learn new life style under COVID-19 era,” he said.
COVID-19 report: Sharing the coronavirus situation report, the chief minister said that 4064 tests were conducted which produced 14.6 percent or 593 positive cases. “We have conducted 99,117 tests against which diagnosed 12610 cases as positive which were 12.7 percent of the total cases.
Talking about causalities, Murad Shah said that 18 patients died which was the highest number since March 19 when first death stemming from coronavirus was reported,” he said and added so far 218 or 1.7 percent of the total patients have died. “May Allah rest them in eternal peace and grant courage to their families to bear the irreparable loss,” he said.
He said that at present 10,163 patients were under treatment, of them 8668 or 85 percent in home isolation, 915 or nine percent at Isolation Centers and 590 or 6 percent in different hospitals. He deplored that 82 patients were in critical condition, including 14 on ventilators.
Sharing the data of Karachi, Mr Shah said that out of 593 new cases Karachi shared 412 cases. They include 124 district South, 92 East, 63 Central, 51 Korangi, 45 West and 37 Malir.
He said that Jacobabad has 41 new cases of Coronavirus, Hyderabad 24, Ghotki 22, Sukkur nine, Tando Allahyar four, Larkana three, two each in Tando Mohammad khan and Khairpur.
He said that 68 patients recovered and discharged to their homes. The number of patients recovered so far has reached to 2149 which constituted 18 percent of the total patients, he said.
Tribute to Nurses: Paying rich tribute to nurses, doctors and para-medical staff, the chief minister said that May 12 was being observed as International Day because on the day Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, had born. “I am really thankful to the nurses, doctors and para-medical staff that they were rendering their services selflessly,” he said and added they are our frontline workers and their lives were as much precious as of others but “you [nurses, doctors and para-medical staff] are more important because you work for saving the lives of other,” he said.
The chief minister said that the slogan of the International Nursing Day was `Nurses voice to lead: nursing the world to health. “This is really a best slogan,” he concluded.
