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News

Covid indicators slide further in Pakistan

NIH data shows everyday tests fall to 2,000: White House says US Covid emergency status to end May 11

January 31, 2023 11:15 AM


The Covid-19 indicators continued to slide as Pakistan detected another eight infections with no fatality during the last 24 hours (Monday), showed the figures released by the National Institute of Health (NIH) on Tuesday morning, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The number of daily tests has dropped further to over 2,000 from more than 3,000 a day earlier.

According to the NIH data, the death toll in the country remained the same at 30,640 whereas the number of total infections now rose to 1,576,293 after adding the fresh eight cases. 

During the last 24 hours (Monday), 2,358 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 0.34 percent. The number of patients in critical care stood at 12.

https://twitter.com/NIH_Pakistan/status/1620231501219786752

NIH to check flights’ wastewater for Covid traces

The National Institute of Health (NIH) has decided to check wastewater of all incoming flights following the discovery of the coronavirus traces.

In a letter issued to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the NIH has called for the implementation of full monitoring and checking of all incoming flights from abroad.

As part of the new measures, samples of wastewater from international flights will be taken regularly. The aviation authority has been tasked with establishing a system for obtaining these samples while training for the collection process will be provided by the NIH.

To ensure the safety of those collecting the samples, CAA will also be responsible for informing sanitary workers of the proper method of disposal of used water from international flights. This will include the provision of essential safety equipment such as jerry cans, gloves, long shoes, face masks, and face shields.

US Covid emergency status to end May 11

The White House said Monday that the national and public health emergencies declared just as the Covid-19 pandemic took grip three years ago will officially end May 11.

The end to both federal emergency declarations, which took effect in January 2020 under then-president Donald Trump, will see funds used to subsidize Covid medicines, medical insurance and other types of government aid related to the pandemic come to an end.

In practice, part of these government assistance programs has already dried up due to opposition from Congress.

The remaining debate is largely political, with Republicans who control the House of Representatives preparing bills that would seek to end the national emergency on March 1 and the public health emergency on April 11.

In a statement, the White House said that such abrupt cancelations of the two emergencies would have "highly significant impacts on our nation's health system and government operations."

This would include "chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care system."

"Hospitals and nursing homes that have relied on flexibilities enabled by the emergency declarations will be plunged into chaos without adequate time to retrain staff and establish new billing processes," the statement said.

Another reason for a 60 day notice period through to May is to give the government time to prepare for the impact of lifting the emergencies on immigration at the troubled US-Mexican border, the statement said.

A rule known as Title 42, currently in place to allow swift expulsion of undocumented migrants, is legal only because of the health emergency. Ending the emergency "precipitously" will "result in a substantial additional inflow of migrants."

The White House says it wants to end Title 42 and replace it with a different legal mechanism for controling the flow of would-be immigrants, but that it needs time to do this.

 

With inputs from AFP.



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