NCOC rings alarm bells amid Covid-19 5th wave

Jan 03, 2022: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Monday decided to increase stringent measures to ensure mandatory vaccination due to increasing number of Omicron variant during the fifth wave of Covid-19 pandemic.

The NCOC meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar and co-chaired by National Coordinator Major General Muhammad Zafar Iqbal took stock of evolving pandemic situation, the national vaccination campaign and the spread of the disease.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan also participated in the session.

The forum said the fifth wave of Omicron variant of coronavirus was spreading rapidly in the country.

In the last three days, Karachi's positive rate has jumped from two to six percent, the forum added.

The forum urged the masses to use face masks to avoid contracting the new variant and ensure social distancing at the outdoors to minimize disease spread.

It also reviewed the progress of district-wise vaccination campaign being run across the country.

The forum reviewed district-wise vaccination targets and directed the province to achieve their set vaccination targets at the earliest to curtail spread of the disease.

APP