Pakistan decides to close NCOC amid Covid downtrend

ISLAMABAD – Federal government has decided to shut down the country's top monitoring body for its efforts against Covid-19, National Command and Operations Centre, Prime Minister aide on National Health Services, Dr Faisal Sultan announced Saturday.

Reports in local media quoting PM’s aide said National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) is expected to shut down soon after new Covid cases edged lower in recent weeks.

The authority was established as a nerve center to synergise and articulate a unified national effort against the novel virus, and to enforce the decisions back in 2020.

Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to formally announce the shutting down of the authority in the coming weeks as March 27 will mark the second anniversary of NCOC.

Meanwhile, the responsibilities of the NCOC will be carried out by the National Institute of Health – an autonomous body of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, mainly responsible for biomedical and health-related research.

The government also planned to form a monument to celebrate the success of the country in its fight against coronavirus in the last two years.

The South Asian country witnessed a major decline in new Covid cases as the number of fresh infections dropped to its lowest since December 2021, per reports.