ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) on Saturday amended the COVID-19 protocol for mosques and announced that only fully vaccinated people would be allowed to offer prayers inside places of worship. The NCOC revised the mosque's protocol, a day after Pakistan recorded its highest number of daily infections at 7,678 since the pandemic began in 2020.
The body leading Pakistan's COVID-19 response also announced on Friday that all schools with high COVID-19 positivity ratios will remain closed for a week across the country.
There are SOPs for mosques; Mandatory wearing of masks; Removal of carpets, etc., maintaining social distance of six feet, offering prayers to the elderly and co-morbid preferably at home, sanitizing hands frequently, minimum attendance for prayers, preferably at home, showering, doors for ventilation/ Opening windows, preferably organizing prayer in the open for Jumma prayers, short sermons.
According to official figures, over 1,000 patients infected with the coronavirus have been shifted to critical care across Pakistan, as the COVID situation worsens due to the Omicron variant.
NCOC data shows that after the condition of 94 deteriorated in the last 24 hours, patients in critical care have increased from 961 a day earlier to 1,055.
The positivity ratio stood at 11.10%, up from 12.93 per cent a day earlier, as 6,540 infections were recorded across the country after 58,902 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, NCOC data showed.
According to the NCOC data, after the new infections, the total cases have reached 1.36 million, while the death toll has risen to 29,077 with 12 more deaths.