The Pakistani state’s attention currently maybe focused on domestic political instability and the economic crises but this should not make us ignore that Covid-19 is once again on the move. With new variants spreading, especially from China, Pakistan is unprepared in case there is another outbreak.
According to the National Command and Operation Centre it is “closely monitoring” the situation, but we have yet to take any concrete measures to prevent the ingress of new Covid-19 variants by implementing screening measures at airports.
As an editorial in Dawn notes, “The government needs to restart a public awareness drive and encourage basic prevention measures, such as wearing masks, avoiding crowded public gatherings, and washing or sanitising hands with regularity.”
Further, as the Editorial warns, “Successful past vaccination drives and our apparently robust immune systems may help the authorities feel secure, but they should not make them complacent about dealing with this new challenge.”
