YouTube
In posting on Twitter, the premier has warned that a second wave of the coronavirus may be in the offing as weather cools
Pakistan is once again witnessing an uptick in daily infections of the novel coronavirus, prompting Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday to urge all citizens to wear face masks in public to curb the spread of the disease.
“Compared to some other states, Allah has been kind to us in Pakistan and spared us the worst effects of COVID-19,” he said in a posting on Twitter. “There is a fear onset of winter could result in 2nd wave. I urge everyone to wear face masks in public to avoid a[nother] spike. All offices and educational institutions must ensure masks are worn,” he added.
In the past two weeks, the active number of COVID-19 cases in Pakistan has risen from around 5,000 to over 9,000. Healthcare professionals have warned that the public is no longer following social distancing guidelines and have claimed that previously empty hospital beds have started to fill up once more. Medical experts globally have warned that the second wave could be far deadlier than the first one and have urged the public to ensure they do not become complacent.
Viruses such as COVID-19 tend to become more active in cooler temperatures, and there is also a greater threat of transmission due to the country reopening sectors that encourage gatherings of large people, such as wedding halls and schools and colleges.
On Sunday, the Pakistan Medical Association also issued a warning about the rising cases of coronavirus. In a statement, the body of medical professionals said that the public was ignoring all standard operating procedures, adding that second waves had already started in other parts of the world, including the U.S., U.K. and Brazil.
The PMA urged the government to take steps to ensure that the public was sensitized about the ongoing threat, adding that if required, areas with large incidences of infections should be locked down once more.