118 Deaths, CNN & WHO Predict Doomsday Scenario in Pakistan

As the third wave of coronavirus worsens in Pakistan, 118 deaths were reported by National Command Operation Center (NCOC) while World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus in the ‘critical’ phase whereas CNN quotes that the private sector permitted to import and sell vaccines has encouraged ‘social inequality’ in Pakistan.

All of these major developments have put the country in a conundrum.

NCOC report

According to the latest figures by NCOC, 4,318 persons tested positive for novel coronavirus along with 118 deaths in the past 24 hours.

Statistics 13th April 21:
Total Tests in Last 24 Hours: 50,520
Positive Cases: 4318
Positivity % : 8.54%
Deaths : 118

— NCOC (@OfficialNcoc) April 13, 2021

Moreover, Punjab remains the hotspot province in terms of deaths followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

So far, 7,062 individuals have lost their lives to pandemic in Punjab, 4,530 in Sindh, 2,683 in KP, 617 in Islamabad, 407 in Azad Kashmir, 217 in Baluchistan, and 103 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

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Covid-19 promoting ‘social inequality’: CNN

As the outbreak worsens during the third wave, Pakistan became one of the few countries to allow private sector to import and sell vaccines, according to CNN.

With the government vaccination program progressing slowly due to delayed deliveries and limited supplies, people are rushing to get their jabs privately.

Moreover, CNN reported, about one million people have been vaccinated, leaving a huge percentage of the country’s 238 million residents waiting for their turn.

In such a situation, “the private sales have raised concerns about pricing and accessibility, and highlighted the country’s deep-rooted social inequality”.

Large cities including Karachi and Islamabad are privileged, whereas residents of rural areas are finding it inaccessible as the vaccine price remains beyond most of Pakistan’s population.

CNN quoted, “Sputnik vaccine currently costs 12,000 Pakistani Rupees ($80) for two doses, according to the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), that’s four times the international market price”.

CNN article added, “Pakistan’s decision to allow private sales have ignited a debate around the ethics of commercializing vaccines during a pandemic — and a legal battle between the government and AGP overpricing”.

In contrast to it, Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) wrote a letter to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan last month, “The commercialization of vaccines would essentially allow the wealthy to cut the line and exacerbate existing inequality.”

However, the request was reversed by the government.

Moreover, the news network reported, “The government warned last week that if the outbreak worsens during Ramazan and cases surge, it could revise and tighten restrictions again.”

Covid-19 entering ‘critical’ phase: WHO

Besides the CNN article, World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the coronavirus pandemic in South Asia has entered a ‘critical’ phase as the surge in infections continues to target lives of thousands of people.

An increase in the number of covid-19 cases in South Asia triggered, new restrictions are becoming ineffective despite precautionary guidelines and administering vaccines.

So far, coronavirus has already killed more than 2.9 million people and infected nearly 136 million across the world.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical lead on covid-19, said, “The trajectory of this pandemic is growing exponentially.”

#UPDATE The #COVID19 pandemic has entered a ‘critical’ phase as infections exponentially increase despite widespread measures aimed at stopping them, the #WHO warned on Monday, with record case numbers in #SouthAsia triggering tough new restrictions https://t.co/16jkKb5nqE pic.twitter.com/gOh273rUer

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) April 12, 2021

While addressing to media, Maria added that being into pandemic for the last 16 months following all measuring precautions globally, “we are still at a critical point of the pandemic right now”.

Comparing the situation of India with other countries, she quoted that India overtook Brazil as the country with the second-highest number of infections.

The infection is aggressively spreading in India as it has reported 13.5 million cases ahead Brazil’s 13.48 million.

Explaining the situation, Kerkhove said Hindu pilgrims in the Himalayan city Haridwar were observing world’s largest religious gathering Kumbh Mela ritual (once in every three years) maskless despite the risk of infection.