COVID-19 situation in Pak's Karachi dangerous, alarming, warns Sindh govt spokesperson

Karachi [Pakistan], July 20 (ANI): Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab has warned that the COVID-19 situation in Pakistan's Karachi had become very "dangerous, alarming and concerning" ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul Azha holiday.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi on Monday, the official noted that the city's positivity rate had increased to 23.12 per cent in the last 24 hours when it was 8.5-9 per cent 10 days ago. He said COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) weren't followed by people after the Sindh government relaxed restrictions which led to the positivity increase, reported Dawn.
"Now Eidul Azha is coming and it's a very dangerous, alarming and concerning situation [in Karachi]," he said.
Wahab said that people were falling ill in large numbers, turning towards hospitals and getting hospitalised, adding that "the situation is again developing to a dangerous extent."
"I want to tell citizens that the situation today is dangerous and concerning and if in the next few days we don't adhere to the SOPs then these numbers (positivity rate) can become more dangerous," Dawn quoted Wahab as saying.
Wahab also hit out at the federal government for opening travel for tourism to the northern areas, saying it was the reason for the surge in coronavirus cases in Gilgit and other places.
"I think you should ask the federal government, you can't place responsibility for this on the Sindh government. The federal government needs to review its policies because if the situation continues like this then may God protect us from this disease [because] I don't see any such intention of the [Centre]," he added.
Pakistan reported 2,145 cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, Geo News reported citing the data of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). The total number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan has reached 991,727 COVID-19 cases, while the number of total COVID-19 deaths stands at 22,848. (ANI)