Marriage halls and restaurants in Pakistan were becoming the main hubs of the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, a Minister said.
Presiding over a National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) meeting on Monday, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said that the spike could be avoided if the establishments compiled with the standard operating procedures (SOPs), reports Dawn news.
Umar said monitoring of disease prevalence and containment measures were important, adding that wearing of masks was the key to controlling the spread of coronavirus.
An official present at the NCOC meeting said the next few weeks were critical and decision about closing down eateries and marriage halls could be taken if cases increased further.
Pakistan has so far reported 315,727 coronavirus deaths and 6,523 deaths.
Umar’s remarks came a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan urged citizens to wear face masks in public to avoid a spike in coronavirus cases, saying there were concerns that the “onset of winter” could result in a second wave.
“Compared to some other states, Allah has been kind to us in Pakistan and spared us worst effects of Covid-19. There is a fear onset of winter could result in second wave. I urge everyone to wear face masks in public to avoid a spike. All offices and educational institutions must ensure masks are worn,” he said in a tweet on Sunday.
The Pakistan Medical Association has also issued a fresh warning over the escalating Covid-19 cases in the country, saying that country might be headed for a second wave of the disease.
In a statement, the doctors’ representative body warned that countries currently experiencing a second wave were facing a more severe form of the disease.
It expressed concerns over the possibility of a similar situation in Pakistan.
The PMA noted that people had stopped following Covid-19 SOPs in Sindh and cautioned that the situation could grow worse if immediate steps were not taken to address the problem.