Week 30 starts in Karachi where Tassy is preparing for a public holiday

 Edited BY 

G P Kennedy

Tassy – Karachi, Pakistan

I hope the week finds all of you well. Covid-19 cases continue to climb in Pakistan. But, the total number of cases per capita still remains significantly lower than neighboring India, and many other countries. That could be attributed partially to testing being abysmally low. The past week saw only 30,000 daily tests taking place despite a population of 180 million.

According to some international Covid-19 trackers, Pakistan’s daily testing at 0.14 per thousand is sadly among the lowest in the world! People feel that confirmed cases being recorded by the laboratories are a fraction of the true number of cases that actually exist in the country. But even if that was true, what is encouraging is that death rates in Pakistan still remain low.

I have been trying to continue my life as normal as I can make it. I still am one of the small percentages of the population that observe the wearing of masks.  The concept of social distancing does not exist here from what I have seen. I see people huddled together in crowded markets and public spaces. I see buses and public transport pretty much packed to the brim. Standard Operating Procedures are being openly flouted. A casual attitude seems to be sadly seen in members of the government and the opposition politicians too. 

Photographs of attendees at public rallies and events held in packed auditoriums show the vast majority with faces uncovered. There is total apathy amongst the public or perhaps a feeling of just ‘defeat’ with most feeling ‘fed up’ with the situation. Although shops are all open, restaurants are open for indoor seating, offices are all more or less open for all their staff, and there is a disruption to everyone’s lives in so many ways.

Families who have school-going children seem to be affected more than others. Most schools opened in the city officially sometime in September but as soon as a case of Covid-19 was detected in a child in a school, a member of staff at the school, the school would be closed down for two weeks. People are frustrated with the uncertainty, irregularity, and disruption of classes and examinations.  I feel quite relieved I don’t have school-going children at the moment. Both my children are managing with online classes at their respective colleges in the US and Canada and although an element of uncertainty remains for them as to when hybrid or regular classes will resume once again, they seem to be in some kind of rhythm with managing their work.

There is a public holiday coming up at the end of this current week. The month of Rabi ul Awal or the third month in the Islamic Calendar is a significant month in Islamic history as it celebrates the birth of Prophet Mohammed. It is called Milad un Nabi in Arabic, or the Celebration of the Prophet. With 96% of the country’s population being Muslims, the entire month is marked with many people decorating their homes with colorful lights and decorations. Shopping malls, buildings, and mosques are also decorated beautifully for the occasion. It is said that the Prophet chose a green cultured flag to represent the Islamic republic during his life. Hence green is a popular color here for the decorations for this occasion.

Although the mood is festive for a number of people, there is always a fear that any religious gatherings and processions could further spike cases.  With the extreme heat felt a few weeks ago having subsided, more people are venturing out in the cooler evenings. Since our summers are very hot, everyone looks forward to winters in Pakistan. It is similar to the excitement people have as summer approaches in say Europe. Winter is just around the corner for us, but this year it comes with the added risk of a further rise in cases.  We continue to hope for the best of course and wish you the same wherever you are too.