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COVID Situation Out Of Control As 15151 Cases Are Reported

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COVID Situation Out Of Control As 15151 Cases Are Reported
COVID Situation Out Of Control As 15151 Cases Are Reported

The Whole COVID-19 Pandemic Situation Gets Out Of Control As 15151 Cases Are Reported

The COVID-19 situation in the country is worsening as more than 12000 cases are reported in a single week. This is the highest since July and the numbers are expected to increase as doctors predict that the prevailing smog will weaken immunity.

The second wave of coronavirus is hitting hard throughout the globe with millions of cases being reported every day and thousands of deaths. Moreover, the death ratio is slowly going up too. The week ended November 15th saw a total of 15151 cases, according to the Ministry of National Health Services, Pakistan.

The official Twitter handle for the department tweeted that the total for today brings the total of active cases to 26538.

The whole week more than 1500 cases have been reported each day. In addition, the defiance of the Government in imposing controlling measures is flabbergasting. There were more than 160 casualties in the week.

2,443 fresh infections on 15th November, bring the total cases to date to 356,904. Of these, there were 323,225 recoveries.

ALSO READ: WHO Pledges to Bring Faster, Cheaper COVID-19 Test Kits To The Whole World

The total death count is alarming as 7141 people have lost lives to the coronavirus. Sunday alone saw 32 people die because of it. The most alarming situation is the rise in the death rate. Until now, Pakistan had one of the best recovery rates. But recent weeks have seen the death rate climb up.

No Lockdown On the Cards? Coronavirus On the Lose

According to the Spectator Index only 2.2% of the Pakistani population has been tested. In contrast, some countries have tested beyond their own population.

Amidst these alarming numbers, all the universities and offices that are open and have an order to work on alternate days. However, very few organizations are following the orders. But, Prime Minister is adamant that a lockdown is not in the favor of the country and says that the Government machinery will look into other methods of averting this threat faced by the people.

Pakistan brought the active cases to just 264 on Aug. 30. The daily death toll also fell to a single digit. However, the combination of flu season, smog, and winters is not working in favor of the country and is forcing the government to take remedial measures.

The government is considering announcing winter vacations in educational institutes. A committee will decide on November 16th.

ALSO READ: Agriculture Hackathon By National Incubation Centre Pakistan

With no complete lockdown on the cards and ‘smart lockdowns’ only being a gimmick for the media, the survival of the people is in their own hands. Firstly, remember to wash your hands regularly. Moreover, avoid touching your eyes and ears.

Furthermore, wearing a mask is absolutely necessary. If you cannot breathe in what the other person exhales, both of you are safe. Keep each other safe, maintain a safe distance from each other, and avoid touching anything without a reason.

Agriculture Hackathon By National Incubation Centre Pakistan

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Agriculture Hackathon By National Incubation Centre Pakistan

Pakistan’s National Incubation Centre Gets Ready to Host Agriculture Hackathon

The National Incubation Centre is preparing to host Hackivate 3.0. Hacktivate 3.0 is meant to be a virtual Agri-based innovation hackathon. The hackathon will aim to to find practical solutions for the many problems in the agriculture industry of Pakistan. Hacktivate 3.0 will promote an out of the box approach towards the agricultural process and the agricultural economy.

The Agri Hackathon

Hackathons are the best of both worlds. Traditional problem solving and tech find common ground at Hackathons. It will primarily be a tech-based competition comprising of a large number of participants, who work together to solve problems in innovative ways.

ALSO READ: Earthquake Wreaks Havoc In Greece and Turkey, Leaves Behind deaths and Floods

NIC took to their Twitter handle to announce the Hackathon.

The event is scheduled for on November 11 and aims look at agriculture through an innovator’s eye. In addition, big companies and panelists will be part of the event including Jazz Xlr8, Ministry of IT Pakistan, Engro, FAO, Neelas, Kausar Group, and Ubank.

ALSO READ: Government of Pakistan Launches Anti-Polio Drive on World Polio Day eradicate polio

The event can strive to innovate, but an Agri event will never be complete without agriculture-based issues. So, a panel has sourced problem statements and issues from the agriculture sector. These include challenges that the industry faces on the go. Also, those that could help bring down costs.

Pakistan is primarily an Argi based economy and working on bringing down costs and solving the problems faced by the industry will benefit the country and the economy as a whole. Moreover, the solutions, are not just for Pakistan and will include problems faced by the agriculture sector worldwide.

Category Based Hackivate 3.0

To better categorize and to deal with the problems, an Agri Innovation space has been defined. Categories like technological innovation, precision agriculture, smart irrigation, research, development and training, food waste, a marketplace for farmers, etc will look into the matter.

The Government of Pakistan is also looking to revolutionize the agriculture sector. Hence, two important ministries are taking part in the event. The Minister for National Food Security and Research, Syed Fakhar Imam, said,

“An increase in agricultural productivity can happen when policies are framed, which will benefit the farming community. We want to bring a better balance between different sectors of the economy, which include manufacturing, agriculture, and services,”

NIC will be providing a complete platform. There will be monetary rewards for participants with great ideas. However, only the top three finalists will have access to investors, donors, and incubation services that can help them achieve their target.

Moreover, all Agri and Tech-based companies can participate to bring a much-needed boost to the economy and the agriculture of Pakistan.

Earthquake Wreaks Havoc In Greece and Turkey, Leaves Behind deaths and Floods

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Earthquake Wreaks Havoc In Greece and Turkey, Leaves Behind deaths and Floods
Credit: Ismail Gokmen

A seven magnitude powerful earthquake has struck off Turkey’s Aegean coast and North of the Greek island of Samos. 

According to reports, the epicenter of the earthquake was at a point roughly 6 miles from the coast.

Turkey experienced a slightly lower magnitude, at 6.6. 12 people died and 438 were injured on the spot, within seconds. On Samos, however, two teenagers were killed.

The shallow tremor triggered a mini-tsunami that flooded Izmir and Samos.

The USGS said the quake – which was felt as far away as Athens and Istanbul – struck at a depth of 10km (six miles), although Turkish officials said it was 16km below ground.

Turkey and Greece both sit on fault lines and earthquakes are common.

Rescuers and local residents search for survivors after a building collapsed in Izmir, Turkey. Photo: 30 October 2020

The Panic Ensues

In Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city with the population of nearly three million, many people were seen running out into the streets in panic and fear after the quake struck. At least 20 buildings collapsed.

Videos have been posted on social media appearing to show the moment one multi-storey building went down. Other videos show local people scrambling over rubble looking for survivors.

There were reports of flooding in the city after the sea level rose, and some fishermen are said to be missing.

Officials later said that 70 people had been rescued from under the rubble.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the government would help those affected by the quake “with all the means available to our state”.

Cars crushed by a collapsed building on Samos, Greece. Photo: 30 October 2020

In Greece, two teenagers lost their lives when a wall collapsed on Samos. Eight people are injured across the island.

A mini-tsunami flooded the port of Samos and a number of buildings were damaged. Greek officials put the magnitude of the tremor at 6.7.

Residents are told to stay outdoors and stay away from coastal areas. About 45,000 people live on Samos.

The Tsunami Threat Following The Earthquake

The building began to shake in our center so we ran out. Soon the roads began to flood.

People were extremely scared there would be a tsunami. People that lived near an elevation ran up that elevation when waters were entering their city.

People assess the damage on Samos, Greece. Photo: 30 October 2020

 

For the people in the refugee camps, they’ve lost everything in their own countries, they lost everything again in a fire and now lots of them have lost the tents they were sleeping in.

ALSO READ: Government of Pakistan Launches Anti-Polio Drive on World Polio Day eradicate polio

The quake was also felt on the Greek island of Crete.

Relations between Greece and Turkey have been particularly strained in recent months. This is because of a dispute relating to control of territorial waters in the Mediterranean and the resources beneath them.

In January more than 30 people were killed and more than 1,600 injured when an earthquake struck Sivrice. Earthquakes are common in Turkey’s eastern Elazig province.

In July 2019, the Greek capital Athens had a tremor that cut out power to large parts of the city.

The earthquake brings back bitter memories from 21 years back. An earthquake in the city of Izmit, near Istanbul, killed about 17,000 people in 1999.

Government of Pakistan Launches Anti-Polio Drive on World Polio Day eradicate polio

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Government of Pakistan Launches Anti-Polio Drive on World Polio Day eradicate polio
Credit: Tehrantimes

Government of Pakistan Reaffirms Commitment to Eradicate Polio From the Country On World Polio Day

World Polio Day on October 24th each year commends the work of countless health workers who tirelessly work to achieve a polio-free world. The Government of Pakistan also celebrated the day with a reaffirmed commitment to the eradication of the disease.

Every World Polio Day has a theme. The theme for 2020 is, “A win against polio is a win for global health”.

Government of Pakistan Launches Anti-Polio Drive on World Polio Day eradicate polio

Africa is now a polio-free country. This leaves Pakistan and Afghanistan as the only countries where some cases are left. Even though Africa is safe, if the virus exists anywhere, it will remain a threat everywhere.

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Polio Eradication Campaign

Dr. Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the PM on Health, launched another drive on World Polio Day during the ceremony. In his message, Dr. Sultan acknowledges the importance of dealing with the disease for global health. Dr. Faisal said,

Government is fully committed to making Pakistan polio-free forever. It is absolutely necessary that children receive this life-saving vaccine, and I request all parents to allow the team to administer polio drops to their children, I am confident, together with our people and international partners, we will achieve our target of making a safer, healthier and polio-free Pakistan for our children.

Pakistan has a Eradication Programme in place. The program will see the launch of a polio eradication campaign from 26th October to 1st November. The campaign is going to vaccinate more than 30 million children.

The campaign will focus on 128 districts where every child under the age of five will get the vaccine. The districts include 33 districts from the province of Punjab, 33 districts of Balochistan, 41 districts of Sindh, eight districts of Gilgit Baltistan, ten districts of AJK, and one district of KPK.

Campaign Amidst the Pandemic

The eradication campaign is sending more than 200,000 frontline workers to every doorstep. The efforts of the Government in addition to the hardwork of the frontline workers will save our country from the crippling disease. Furthermore, strict measures will ensure the safety of the workers and children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ALSO READ: WHO Pledges to Bring Faster, Cheaper COVID-19 Test Kits To The Whole World

The frontline staff will wear PPE, face shields and masks to protect against the spread of the COVID-19. The pandemic is still upon us with the threat of another wave during winters.

Dr. Rana Safdar, Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) of the Eradication Programme said,

“While we may have not achieved zero cases, the Pakistan Polio Programme has been able to secure the future of millions of children by continued vaccination. Despite multiple challenges, our frontline workers remain committed and are the real heroes. Today, on World Polio Day, we are celebrating and recognizing their achievements,”.

“World’s eyes are focused on Pakistan, and the government is committed to eradicate the virus from the country. Now it’s up to the parents and society as a whole to vaccinate their children and open doors to frontline workers to get rid of not only polio but all other vaccine preventable diseases,” added Dr. Safdar.

Polio is a crippling disease caused by poliovirus. The virus can affect children under the age of five years by compromising their nervous system. Moreover, it can prove fatal or cause paralysis.

Our only bet against the virus is getting our children vaccination for it, as there is no known cure.

TikTok Services Restored In Pakistan After 11 Days

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TikTok Services Restored In Pakistan After 11 Days

TikTok Services Restored In Pakistan After 11 Days Of Complete Ban

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Monday, 19 October announced that it was going to lift the ban on the Chinese social networking video sharing service TikTok.

Before this, PTA blocked the social media application, TikTok in Pakistan after the platform failed to comply with PTA rules. The ban came in place after repeated notices to the app regarding ill practices.

TikTok Services Restored In Pakistan After 11 Days

However, TikTok did not pay heed to repeated requests from PTA. PTA banned TikTok because of circulation of illicit content on the platform. But on Monday, PTA took to their official Twitter handle to announce the lifting of the ban.

More than 1.5 million people visit Turkey’s Hagia Sophia since reversion to mosque

Reassurances From TikTok Management

The telecom authority said it was lifting the ban after TikTok’s senior management assured it would moderate content per “societal norms and the laws of Pakistan.” Moreover, TikTok has about 20 million monthly active users in Pakistan, authorities said.

TikTok is being unlocked after assurance from management that they will block all accounts repeatedly involved in spreading obscenity and immorality.

TikTok will moderate the account in accordance with local laws.

— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) October 19, 2020

TikTok’s senior management team has also ensured the Pakistani authorities that any users who exhibit a repeated pattern of uploading “unlawful” content will be blocked. The official press release from PTA, however, warns that the app needs to actively moderate content on its app, or else it will be permanently blocked in Pakistan.

The restoration of TikTok is strictly subject to the condition that the platform will not be used for the spread of vulgarity/indecent content & societal values will not be abused. PTA will be constrained to permanently block the application in the case that said condition is not fulfilled.

— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) October 19, 2020

The final warning issued to TikTok came in July. In the official warning, Pakistan expressed serious concerns over select videos on the platform. “Immoral,” “obscene” and “vulgar” are some of the make 

After the ban, TikTok had assured that it would work harder to moderate content. Furthermore, it is offering to invest in the country. However, the investment is subject to removal of the ban.

Internet Censorship in Pakistan

There were many mixed reviews when the ban was first imposed. Pakistan has been imposing serious censorship in the past few months. The ban on TikTok is an extension of similar repressive policies.

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Internet censorship is a detestable thing. There was reversal for several such censorships in the past. The censorships were retracted by the authorities after tech giants like Facebook, Google, and Twitter threatened to leave the country.

Several Chinese apps have come under fire throughout the world. The US and India have called the apps a national security threat. Countries are leveling allegations of data theft on these apps. India imposed a complete ban on TikTok and hundreds of other Chinese applications, terming the apps as cybersecurity threats.

The ban also hurt TikTok as India was the 2nd biggest userbase after China.

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Government of Pakistan Launches Anti-Polio Drive on World Polio Day eradicate polio

Government of Pakistan Launches Anti-Polio Drive on World Polio Day eradicate...

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Government of Pakistan Reaffirms Commitment to Eradicate Polio From the Country On World Polio Day World Polio Day on October 24th each year commends the...

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