Nangarhar records higher Covid-19 cases but rare deaths

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): The third wave of Covid-19 has started in eastern Nangarhar province where officials report around 100 such cases.

Afghans frequently travel to Pakistan where Covid-19 cases remain high and this situation has created concerns for people, but local officials in Nangarhar say that no cases having link with Pakistan had been recorded.

Meanwhile, local administration of Nangarhar says they are consulting with health and other relevant organs about ways to prevent the spread of the virus.

According to provincial public health department, a total of 11,178 people had undergone test for the virus in the province since its outbreak and 3,587 of them people were tested positive.

The virus cases have increased in April during which 914 positive cases were recorded with 58 cases showing the British variant.

India and Pakistan where Afghans frequently travel have recently recorded a large number of infections that created concerns for Afghanistan.

Nangarhar public health director, Dr. Nasir Ahmad Durani also said that a third wave of the virus had started in the province where 150 people were tested daily and around 100 of them were found contracting the virus.

The virus cases have increased in the province since last three weeks, but no case of death from the disease was recorded during the period, he said.

“We can say that Covid-19 cases have increased or reduced in different times, if we call it waves, then we have passed the first and second waves and now we are facing the third wave…” he said.

Durani said that the number of cases in the current wave was higher compared to the previous waves but deaths were limited. He said that the reason of limited deaths was right measures and experiences from the past.

He added that all health measures related to the government had been in place, but the public still did not follow health guidelines such as social distance.

“Awareness programs are also underway, our centers are active in all districts, our laboratories are active and have enough access to oxygen, we have 600 balloons of oxygen compared to 20 or 30 earlier…” he said.

He said that people would not need to go to hospital for their treatment if they observed health guidelines.

Frequent trips via Torkham port worrisome

Residents of Nangarhar are worried about frequent trips of Afghans to Pakistan via Torkham port and said that the cases could increase with high number of Afghans going or returning from the neighboring country.

The Afghan government has declared as mandatory Covid-19 tests for people entering Afghanistan, but people are worried that most tests performed in Pakistan’s Peshawar city were fake.

Farhad Safi, who returned from Peshawar to Jalalabad city, capital of Nangarhar, said that no social distance or using masks were observed in Torkham port despite Covid-19 cases were high in Pakistan.

However, Nangarhar public health director, Dr. Nasi Ahmad Durani said that no any virus cases had been detected that could be linked with passengers coming from Pakistan, but the open movement through the port was worrisome.

He said that tests were mandatory in the port besides other health measures were in place there.

Special health measures in Jalalabad:

Nangarhar governor, Ziaulhaq Amarkhil said that he planned to take special health measures in Jalalabad city where a million people lived, in order to prevent rapid spread of Covid-19.

“We will take some measures, but I am sure that the Ministry of Public Health and all other relevant organs would have taken measures in the whole of the country,” he said.

People also say that the government should ban unnecessary trips to Pakistan and India for some time.

Faisal Jabarkhil, a resident of Jalalabad city said that the government should restrict trips and entries with the two countries and unnecessary movements.

Afghan envoy to India has asked people to avoid traveling to India until Covid-19 cases were controlled.

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“This Investigative Report was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Pajhwok and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.”