Sindh has decided to endorse the decision taken by the National Command and Operation Center on the relaxation of certain specific non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) notified on May 15.
This was announced by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah while presiding over a meeting of the Provincial Task Force on Coronavirus at CM House on Monday.
The province will, however, review the impact of COVID-19 in the post Eid scenario on Thursday and may take strict decisions if the standard operational procedures are not followed or a spike in the cases is reported, the CM said.
The meeting was attended by provincial ministers DrAzra Pechuho, Saeed Ghani, Nasir Shah, law adviser law MurtazaWahab, IG Mushtaq Maher, Home ACS Usman Chachar, Commissioner Karachi Naveed Shaikh, Karachi Additional IG Imran Minhas, Finance Secretary Hassan Naqvi, School Education Secretary Ahmed BuxNarejo, Health Secretary KazimJatoi, Dr Bari, Dr Faisal, DrSajjadQaiser, representatives of Corps 5, Rangers and WHO.
At the outset of the meeting, the task force endorsed relaxation in certain specific NPIs announced by the NCOC on May 15.
It was decided, however, that the forum will again review its decision next Thursday by evaluating the impact of the virus in the post Eid scenario.
“If the SOPs are not followed in true letter and spirit the government would take strict action and may withdraw the relaxation given to the NPIs,” the chief minister warned.
The situation of Coronavirus in Sindh: Giving the weekly update on the coronavirus situation in Sindh, the health secretary said that in the last week (from May 10 to 16), Karachi East has shown 26% COVID-19 cases, South 17%, Central 14%, Sukkur 12%, Hyderabad and Karachi-Malir 11% each, Korangi 10%, Dadu 9%, Karachi-West 8%, Thatta 7%, Badin, Ghotki, NausheroFeroze and Shaheed Benazirabad, 5% each.
In the last 30 days, 142 coronavirus deaths have been reported. Of them, 87% or 123 patients died in hospitals on ventilators and 13% or 19 patients at home. The CM commented that this is not a good situation.
“We have to save our valuable lives by taking necessary measures,” he said and added it would be possible when people would follow SOPs and get themselves vaccinated.
The meeting was told that there were 664 ICU beds with ventilators in Sindh, of the 58 have been occupied.
Out of 1,814 HDU beds 460 have been occupied. Secretary Health KazimJatoi told the meeting that on May 5, there were 54 patients on ventilators in Karachi, on May 11 and 12 the number of patients on Vent increased to 59 and then it went on dropping down to 55 on May 13 and 14 but again on May 16 the number increased to 55.
He added that in Hyderabad the number of patients on Ventilators had not gone up to three patients during said week, May 5 to 16, 2021.
The chief minister was told that Abbasi Shaheed Hospital COVID unit has been closed due to some financial liabilities.
The chief minister directed Minister Local Government Nasir Shah to get it functional within two days and conduct an inquiry against the liabilities and report him.
Abbasi Shaheed Hospital is an important facility and it must operate at its full capacity round the clock,he said.
