Lockdown in Punjab before Eid
The Punjab government has decided to reinstate smart lockdowns in various parts of the province in the days leading up to Eid al-Azha. According to Chief Secretary Jawwad Rafique Malik, the government was preparing all necessary measures to ensure SOPs are strictly enforced at cattle markets and during ritual slaughter to limit person-to-person transmissions, as well as to buffer the healthcare sector in preparation for an influx in COVID-19 patients.
In the lead up to the holidays, the provincial government will also impose smart lockdown in vulnerable locations to prevent transmissions during Eid shopping, as was seen in the days leading up to Eid al-Fitr.
Virus may resurge post Eid
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza warned during a media briefing on Sunday, July 26 that the current trend of declining cases and deaths may be reverse if SOPs are not adhered to during Eid al-Azha and Muharram. He appealed to the public to opt to buy sacrificial animals online, and practice strict precautions just as the virus begins to rebound and resurges in various parts of the globe.
Case fatalities decline by 87%
Pakistan recorded its lowest COVID-19 death toll of 20 fatalities on July 26, as the national death tally falls by 87%. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded only 2 deaths in past 24 hours, a reduction of 16% in the province’s case fatality rate while new cases dropped by nearly 20%.