THERE is no doubt any longer: the second wave is intensifying at an alarming pace. Punjab reported 352 new Covid-19 infections in the 24 hours preceding Saturday morning, the fifth straight day with 300-plus cases in the province. Islamabad reported 335 cases. In Sindh, 620 new Covid-19 cases emerged yesterday, 504 in Karachi alone, the highest number since July 29. Given this situation, it was not surprising that the National Command and Operation Centre on Friday issued fresh guidelines according to which indoor marriages are to be banned from Nov 20; not wearing a mask will attract a fine of Rs100; and work from home is allowed for 50pc staff of public and private institutions. The provinces have been asked to implement the new guidelines as per their own modus operandi. Thus Sindh, for instance, has imposed a Rs500 fine on anyone found not wearing a mask. The NCOC has also directed provinces to follow the policy of smart lockdowns in infection hotspots. While these measures overall are sensible and timely, one wonders at the logic of allowing wedding receptions at outdoor venues for a maximum of 1,000 guests which is a number far higher than that found at an average Pakistani wedding.

However, it is clear the authorities are taking the emerging threat very seriously. Unfortunately, the public appears to have become quite lackadaisical about observing SOPs, and many venues are adopting a relaxed approach to social distancing rules with hardly any masks in sight. For reasons not yet clear, Pakistan has thus far been very fortunate in escaping the kind of havoc that the coronavirus has wreaked in the West, and even next door in India with all the attendant economic pain such a scenario entails. That we have gotten off comparatively lightly may have engendered a certain complacency among the public, in some quarters even bolstered harebrained conspiracy theories about the entire issue being an elaborate hoax. After a somewhat halting and uneven start in February when the coronavirus first arrived in Pakistan, the setting up of the NCOC has led to more coordination between the provinces and the centre over how best to tackle this major challenge. That approach needs to continue for an effective response to what is once again a looming threat. The leadership must ensure consistent messaging through its actions in public to reinforce the importance of social distancing and wearing masks.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2020