Strict adherence to mask-wearing advised at Muharram gatherings amid rise in COVID-19 cases
A policeman stands guard as Shiite Muslims take part in a mourning ritual during the Islamic month of Muharram ahead of Ashura ceremonies, in Peshawar, Pakistan, on August 29, 2020. — AFP/file The National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH) has advised strict adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), including mask wearing and social distancing during Muharram gatherings, as Pakistan continues to remain under the grip of COVID-19. Gatherings and majalis to remember the Shuhada-e-Karbala (martyrs of Karbala) started across the country after Pakistan sighted the Muharram moon, marking the beginning of the new Islamic year today (Sunday). In the last 24 hours, 661 new cases of coronavirus were reported when diagnostic tests were done on 20,080 samples, NIH data showed Sunday morning. The new cases pushed the coronavirus positivity rate in Pakistan to 3.29% and the number of total COVID-19 cases to 1,553,386. Meanwhile, the country reported only a single deat