COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
The COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan is part of the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have reached Pakistan on 26 February 2020, when two cases were recorded (a student in Karachi who had just returned from Iran and another person in the Islamabad Capital Territory).[3] On 18 March 2020, cases had been registered in all four provinces, the two autonomous territories, and Islamabad Capital Territory,[4] and by 17 June, each district in Pakistan had recorded at least one confirmed case of COVID-19.
COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
Despite being the world's 5th-most-populous country, Pakistan only has so far recorded the world's 29th-highest death toll (at approximately 23,087) and 29th-highest number of confirmed cases (at approximately 1,011,708). However, these figures do not include undercounting of COVID-19 infections in the country.[5][6]
Pakistan so far has experienced three different waves of COVID-19. The nation's first wave of COVID-19 began in late May 2020, peaked in mid-June when daily new confirmed case numbers and daily new death numbers reached high points, then ended in mid-July. The first wave was marked by a low death rate, and passed very suddenly as case and death rates began to drop very quickly after peaking.[7] After the first wave, Pakistan's COVID-19 situation subsided daily new death numbers and testing positivity rates in the country stabilized at low levels. Cases and deaths began rising again, though, in early November 2020, culminating in the country's second wave. This wave was low in its intensity, mainly affected the southern province of Sindh, and peaked in mid-December 2020. The country's third wave began in mid-March 2021, when testing positivity rates, and daily new confirmed cases and deaths began to skyrocket. The third wave mainly affected the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This wave peaked in late April 2021, and since then, positivity rates, daily new case numbers, and daily new death numbers have been falling.
Pakistan's most populated province, Punjab, has so far seen the highest raw number of confirmed cases (334,000) and deaths (9,770). Sindh, the second-most populated province in the country, has seen the second-highest number of confirmed cases (308,000) and deaths (4,910), but was hit hardest by Pakistan's first two waves of the virus, and still has higher proportions of confirmed cases than all of Pakistan's other provinces. It also has the second-highest death rate, after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is Pakistan's third-most-populated province. While Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the third-highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 (129,000), it has faced an exceptionally high fatality rate of 3.03% which has caused it to have the highest death rate out of any province and the third-highest number of deaths (3,920). In the southwest of the country, the sparse and arid province of Balochistan has seen the lowest confirmed case count (24,500) and the lowest death count (270) of all of Pakistan's provinces and has also shown the lowest number of confirmed cases per capita, as well as the lowest number of deaths per capita. The fatality rate in Balochistan is especially low, currently standing at 1.10%. Islamabad Capital Territory, which is richer than any of Pakistan's provinces, has confirmed 80,300 cases and has seen 745 deaths so far, giving it a higher number of deaths per capita and a higher number of confirmed cases per capita than any Pakistani province, while also having the lowest fatality rate in the country.
The country was put under a nationwide lockdown from 1 April[8] and extended twice[9] until 9 May.[10][11] Upon its end, the lockdown was eased in phases.[12] After the first wave, the country has battled COVID-19 by using "smart lockdowns" and enforcing SOPs.
The distribution of COVID-19 in Pakistan is heavily concentrated in a few key areas. The city of Karachi (as of 7 May 2021) has recorded about 189,000 confirmed cases, making up about 22% of all cases of COVID-19 in Pakistan. Meanwhile, Lahore, the country's second-largest city, has recorded (as of 5 September 2020) 170,000 cases of COVID-19, making up about 19% of the country's cases. Islamabad Capital Territory and Peshawar District have recorded about 79,000 and 47,000 confirmed cases respectively as of the latest available data. Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar account for about 485,000 cases, which make up over 55% of the country's total confirmed cases.
Background[edit]
On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[13][14]
The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[15][16] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[17][15]
Other cases[edit]
On 29 January, four Pakistani students studying in China tested positive for COVID-19. Two more were later confirmed making the total number 6. Four of the students had recovered on 12 February while the other two recovered on 14 February after being hospitalised in Guangzhou.[152]
On 11 March, the Pakistani consulate in Milan announced the first death of a Pakistani from COVID-19 in Brescia, Italy.[153]
A Pakistani national tested positive at the Torkham border between Pakistan and Afghanistan on 12 March. It was reported that the patient was an employee of Pakistani embassy in Afghanistan.[154]
On 20 March, the Palestinian Health Ministry announced a new case in Salfit Governorate, Palestine, which originated from Pakistan.[155][156] On 21 March, Palestinian sources confirmed the first two cases in Gaza City, Gaza; the two Palestinians had travelled from Pakistan and entered Gaza through Egypt. Once they had tested positive for the virus they were placed in quarantine in Rafah since their arrival on 19 March.[157][158][159] On 22 March, a patient in Zambia had travelled to Pakistan and had contracted COVID-19.[160]
On 28 March, Pakistani squash player Azam Khan died of COVID-19 in London, England, at the age of 95.[161]
Impact[edit]
Politics[edit]
On 15 March, in video conference of SAARC nations on coronavirus issue, country's State Minister of Health Zafar Mirza urged India for immediate lifting of the lockdown in Indian-administered Kashmir to allow virus containment measures.[268][269]
On 22 March, Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the United States President Donald Trump to temporarily lift sanctions on Iran. He stated on Twitter, 'I want to appeal to President Trump on humanitarian grounds to lift the sanctions against Iran until the COVID-19 pandemic is over.'[270]
The same day, the Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi raised the issue of external debt faced by the country and how it should be relieved in repayment of loans on the phone with Heiko Maas, the German Foreign Minister. Qureshi reportedly told Maas that united efforts were required for dealing with the pandemic and that debt relief could help Pakistan in better handling of the outbreak in the country. He further stated that sanctions on Iran should be lifted immediately so it could use its own resources to fight the ongoing outbreak there. In response, Maas assured him that the issues would be raised at the forthcoming G7 meeting and the European Union Foreign Ministers' Conference next week.[271] He also echoed the need to lift sanctions on Iran on calls with the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian[272] and the Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez[273] on 24 March.
According to news report of Benazir Shah in Arab News, as of 16 June at least 97 members of national and provincial assemblies across political lines tested positive for COVID-19 and six of them died.[274] In March 2021, Prime Minister Imran Khan also tested positive for the virus.[275]
Economy[edit]
On 2 April, the Government of Pakistan announced that the Pakistani economy had lost Rs 2.5 trillion due to the coronavirus pandemic.[276] Some government programs were maintained through the crisis to keep people employed. For example, the Plant for Pakistan reforestation program was maintained through the pandemic employing 60,000 people.[277] On 2 June, it was reported that mango exports had declined due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[278] On 5 June, the Pakistani Government announced plans to privatize a number of state-run industries, including the state-run Pakistan Steel Mills. Such actions led to the lay off and subsequent unemployment of over 9300 employees.[279]
On 20 June, Pakistan's Ministry of Interior announced that the Torkham and Spin Boldak borders would open for six days a week under strict health measures.[280] On 22 June, Pakistan opened its border crossings with Afghanistan, allowing exports for the first time in three months.[281] On 15 July, Pakistan allowed Afghan exports to India through the Wagah border, after taking COVID-19 measures.[282] On 17 July, China applauded the resumption of trade relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan after five land crossings had opened. The five land crossings were Torkham, Chaman, Ghulam Khan, Angur Ada and Dand-e-Patan.[283]
Healthcare professionals[edit]
The federal government's economic relief package also benefited the healthcare professionals in the country. It was decided that if a doctor or a paramedic died while treating coronavirus patients, they would be considered martyrs and their families would receive the package that is given to martyrs.[190]
Making a landmark, the Pakistani Law enforcement presented the Guard of honour as a mark of respect from 27 to 29 March to the doctors and para medical staff fighting on the front lines of the global COVID-19 outbreak across the country in different cities.
[284][285] The medical staff of a Mayo hospital in Lahore were given a guard of honour by the Lahore police for their efforts to help Pakistan fight the coronavirus pandemic.[286] Observing social distance (home-quarantined) citizens of Pakistan together with celebrities raised white flags on 27 March across Pakistan from their balconies, rooftops expressing love for the doctors and para-medics who are combating without fearing from the epidemic COVID-19 virus.[287]
The Government of Punjab announced a one-month honorarium for the healthcare workers at the end of March. This meant that in case a healthcare worker died, a martyr package was included in the regional government's relief package. Medical professionals across the province were also provided with one-month additional salary in recognition of their services.[86][215]
The Guardian interviewed a doctor, who said that the country's mishandling of the outbreak to be "depressing and disturbing".[288] Doctors in Pakistan have complained about the lack of personal protection equipment (PPE) required to deal with the coronavirus, and that without protection doctors have become infected and in turn were infecting other patients.[289] On 6 April, police broke up protests in Quetta by more than 100 doctors, who were demanding better safety equipment. Police arrested 53 doctors involved in these protests,[290] and doctors reported being "beaten and humiliated" by the police.[289]
By 7 May, COVID-19 had infected more than 500 Pakistani healthcare workers.[112] Human Rights Watch criticised the closing of maternity wards in various hospitals due to some healthcare workers becoming infected while attending maternity wards. They alleged this put the already challenged reproductive health of Pakistani women at more risk.[112] According to a recent study, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a tumultuous effect on dentists as well.[291]