Coronavirus second wave: Fawad 'advises' opposition to postpone movement till next year

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, citing fears of a second wave of coronavirus, on Saturday 'advised' Opposition parties to postpone their scheduled political rallies and sit-ins till next year.

It may be recalled that the Opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Moment (PDM) has announced rallies across the country against the PTI government. The first rally of the PDM will be held on October 16 in Gujranwala.

The federal minister, in a tweet, noted that the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC) has issued new SOPs in view of the second wave of coronavirus and had asked for restrictions on weddings and other large gatherings.

Advising the opposition to postpone their movement till next year, Chaudhry further said that political parties should show responsibility and postpone their rallies in order to mitigate the loss of lives feared due to the ongoing pandemic.

Punjab sounds alarm over coronavirus cases

While the science and technology minister, who is known for his dry wit, may only have been half serious when tweeting his advice, the Punjab health minister has sounded a very clear warning regarding a worrying resurgence in coronavirus cases.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid has warned that the number of coronavirus cases has registered a worrying increase over the last week.

In a statement, Rashid said that non-compliance with prevention SOPs could lead to disastrous outcomes and that precautionary measures in educational institutions should be strictly enforced.

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Noting that public gatherings are banned all over the world due to coronavirus, Rashid said that while the health department has prepared new preventive measures, the general public should still avoid gathering unnecessarily.