Ongoing wedding season responsible for surge in COVID-19 cases: Dr Azra Pechuho

• Dr Pechuho says Omicron variant spreading rapidly in Karachi.
• Says people openly flouting coronavirus SOPs during weddings which is leading to increase in cases.
• Says federal govt is providing vaccines to Sindh, so no need to import.

KARACHI: Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho on Wednesday held the ongoing wedding season in Karachi responsible for the spread of COVID-19 cases.

Speaking during Geo News Program, "Geo Pakistan," Dr Pechuho said that the coronavirus variant Delta was already there but the new variant Omicron has been imported too and is spreading rapidly as compared to Delta.

Expressing concern about the surge in COVID-19 cases, she said that the ongoing wedding season is responsible for the spread of the coronavirus in the province as people can be seen flouting precautionary measures.

Dr Pechuho further said that the federal government is providing vaccines to provinces, therefore, "we don’t need to import vaccines right now."

Although the Sindh health department had already requested the Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) to buy COVID-19 vaccines, the request has not been entertained yet, she said.

It is worth mentioning that health experts had already warned that Omicron spreading like wildfire in Karachi, as per the report COVID-19 positivity touched 8.91% in the city, where 339 more people were tested positive with over 50% people infected with the Omicron variant.

Special assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Imran Khan on Health, Dr Faisal Sultan, warned people on Tuesday to not take Omicron “lightly” as hospitalisation will increase in the next one to two weeks.

The country’s top health official advised the public to follow the mandated COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) and get vaccinated as soon as possible.