ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar on Wednesday warned of more restrictions due to the deteriorating Covid pandemic situation across the country.

The federal minister, after chairing an important session at the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), said that implementation of COVID-19 standard operating procedures is not good this time and shared that the number of critical cases in the country has exceeded 4,500.

He said, at the NCOC, we reviewed the pandemic situation, which is bad. We have taken quite a lot of decisions to impose more curbs which would be announced on Friday.

The NCOC noted that if the situation remains the same, then they would have no choice but to shut major cities. Right now the major cities are not being closed but a margin of only some days is left.

He said that the positivity ratio in Karachi and Hyderabad is 13 percent and 14 percent respectively while in Mardan it is 33 percent and 38 percent in Bahawalpur. "In several cities, more than 80 percent of ventilators are in use." Umar added that the administration has failed to implement the SOPs, the result of which is evident.

"Health facilities are under stress due to increasing number of positive cases which have now crossed 83,000." He asked the Chief Ministers to take action against the SOP violators and urged them to help the NCOC in controlling the pandemic."You are the elected leaders, people have voted you, they will listen to you." He said.

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