7 employees working at the Punjab Assembly have contracted coronavirus

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Web Desk
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A Reuters file image of a technician holding a coronavirus test bottle.

At least seven employees of the Punjab Assembly have tested positive for the coronavirus, Geo News has reported.

They had been tested on November 7 as part of a larger drive carried out on the directives of Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervez Elahi.

A total of 601 COVID-19 cases have been recorded across Punjab in the past 24 hours, bringing the provincial tally to 108,822. The coronavirus has so far claimed 2,455 lives in Punjab — 17 in the past 24 hours only.

The province's case positivity rate stands at 4.9%. 

Pakistan's COVID-19 situation

A total of 2,304 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the past 24 hours all over the country, bringing the tally of cases to 352,296. With 37 new deaths, the country's coronavirus death toll reached 7,092. So far, a total of 321,563 people have recovered from the virus while the active number of cases stands at 23,641.

With 36,923 tests conducted across Pakistan, the positivity rate has reached 6.4%. 

Read more: New cases shoot up by more than 27% in single day

Second waves are lethal

Historically, second waves of a pandemic prove to be deadliest. A second wave accounted for 58,000 of the total 100,000 casualties during the 1889 flu outbreak. Likewise, the spanish flu and swine flu were also more severe with the second wave. The coronavirus seems no different, with the global tally surpassing 50 million earlier this month.

At home, Pakistan has been seeing a steady rise in coronavirus cases, with officials acknowledging that the second wave of COVID-19 has arrived in the country.

The Pakistan Medical Association has already cautioned against a deadlier second wave and urged people to follow SOPs.

Professor of Endocrinology Dr Rauf Niazi recently told The News that COVID-19 was more lethal in the second wave compared to the first surge in Pakistan.

The publication said a mutation of the virus has added to its gravity, which is very dangerous for people struck by it. Dr Niazi said the patients received by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in recent times appeared to be severely ill than before.

Read more: Coronavirus cases in Pakistan and abroad on November 13

NCOC recommends emergency measures

The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday issued fresh restrictions in a bid to control the rapidly rising second wave of coronavirus infections across the country.

The NCOC has recommended limiting all public gatherings to 500 people, including cultural, political, religious, entertainment and civil gatherings.

The body has also suggested notifying early and extending winter vacations to federal and provincial education departments, keeping in view the rising positivity rate in educational institutions.

It also recommended that only outdoor dining be allowed till 10 pm while cinemas and theatres be closed immediately. Shrines will also be temporarily closed with immediate effect. Only outdoor weddings with a capacity of 500 people be will allowed from November 20.