Surgeries, other procedures being cancelled due to rising Covid cases July 18, 2021 Dozens of elective surgeries, different medical procedures and radiological interventions are being cancelled or postponed in Karachi and other major cities of Pakistan as a large number of asymptomatic patients have tested positive for Covid-19 over the past week because the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is spreading like fire in the country, surgeons and other health experts said on Saturday. They said the ratio of cancellation of elective surgeries and procedures due to patients testing positive for Covid-19 is between 20 and 50 per cent on a daily basis, adding that dozens of patients requiring elective surgeries and medical procedures are being asked to quarantine themselves for at least 10 days, often resulting in more miseries and hardships for such patients and their attendants.