On July 21, Pakistan has reported the lowest number of coronavirus infections – just 1013 – in the past three months. Pakistan is constantly witnessing a major decline in the number of coronavirus infections. The World Health Organization in Pakistan held a technical working group virtual meeting on July 15 and acknowledged that COVID-19 cases seemed to be slowly falling in the country. Pakistan has so far registered over 273,000 COVID-19 infections, with 5,822 deaths and 237,737 recoveries. The number of active cases currently stands at 29,857.
Pakistan – a country where the healthcare sector is facing a crisis since its independence – has managed to witness a decline in coronavirus cases. In Pakistan, the most important aspect of well-being is also the most neglected. In its 70-year history, Pakistan’s successive governments, civil and military, have not made health a priority.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI)-led federal government has argued that the drop in the daily number of coronavirus cases in July is due to its “smart lockdown” strategy. But observers say the trend could be a result of misreporting and inadequate testing. The mystery still remains how the number of coronavirus cases are declining in the country.
Countries like United Kingdom, Spain, and the United States, with the best healthcare system, are still struggling to contain the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Even Vietnam reported its first locally transmitted case in nearly 100 days – a country whose full lockdown won praise for containing the outbreak of the disease.
Pakistan is still struggling to eradicate the poliovirus. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the final wild poliovirus bastions. The absurd mindset of the people of Pakistan and the indifference of the Pakistan government are still the biggest obstacles in eradicating polio. Pakistanis always linked something unnatural with conspiracies. The same went for coronavirus. Still, there are people who claimed coronavirus is nothing. “It’s a trap”.
Pakistan’s government has even failed to formulate the best healthcare policy for the country. The news of declining coronavirus cases appears to be good but the threat remains. The reduction in tests seems to drive the reduction in coronavirus infections.
The Pakistani government should take stern measures and increase the capacity of testing in a bid to avoid a risky situation. The upcoming occasions of Eid-ul-Azha and Muharram will be a challenge for the government. People should act responsibly and follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
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