PM orders NCOC restoration after new coronavirus case reported

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered on Tuesday to immediately restore National Command and Operation Centre as the Omicron sub-variant case has been reported in Pakistan.

The move came after the country recorded a new coronavirus case Monday.

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), the case was of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1.

“NIH has detected the first case of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1. This new sub-variant is causing increasing number of cases in different countries,” NIH tweeted.

The prime minister also sought report from the NIH.

The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) which was established in 2020 as the nerve centre for Pakistan’s unified response against the coronavirus ceased operations on March 31, 2020.

NCOC Chief Asad Umer said that the decline in the spread of the virus and the vaccination rates indicate that people should return to normal lives.

“This institute which was established in an emergency situation [now] needs to be phased out,” said Umar.