Islamabad, Apr 21 (IANS): Pakistan's Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar on Wednesday warned of more restrictions due to the deteriorating Covid pandemic situation across the country.

The Minister after chairing an important session at the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), said that this time the implementation of Covid-19 SOPs is not good and shared that the number of critical cases in the country has exceeded 4,500, geotv reported.

"At the NCOC we reviewed the pandemic situation, which is bad. We have taken several decisions to impose more curbs which would be announced on Friday," Umar said, adding that right now we are not closing major cities but we just have a margin of a few days.

He said that the positivity ratio in Karachi and Hyderabad is 13 per cent and 14 per cent respectively while in Mardan it is 33 per cent and 38 per cent in Bahawalpur. "In several cities, more than 80 per cent of ventilators are in use."

Umar added that the administration has failed to implement the SOPs, the result of which is evident.

"Health facilities are under stress due to increasing number of positive cases which have now crossed 83,000."

He asked the Chief Ministers to take action against the SOP violators and urged them to help the NCOC in controlling the pandemic.

"You are the elected leaders, people have voted you, they will listen to you."