We can’t afford to go into lockdown: PM
islamabad — Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that the country cannot afford to go into a lockdown again, and urged everyone to strictly follow preventive measures to contain the spread of the Covid-19.
Addressing a cabinet meeting here, Prime Minister Khan said the provincial governments needed to ensure the implementation of Trace, Test and Quarantine (TTQ) and smart lockdown strategies as part of the measures, reported Geo News.
“The country cannot afford lockdown again,” said the prime minister after the Cabinet was briefed on the Covid-19 situation across the nation.
Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar — who also heads the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) — and the Prime Minister Khan’s aide on health, Dr Faisal Sultan, informed the Cabinet that the number of coronavirus patients, as well as virus-related deaths, was increasing.
Adherence to Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) needed to be ensured, said Umar and Sultan.
The prime minister also announced a package for small industries, underscoring that Pakistan’s industries would not be closed down now, according to Geo News. If the number of cases rises, the businesses and industries would continue their operations while following the SOPs, he added.
Earlier, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Secretary General Qaisar Sajjad warned that the virus had become more lethal as it had mutated and bounced back with full force.
The PMA secretary told Dawn that there was an urgent need to deal with the situation strictly.
“The government has declared wearing of mask mandatory, but no one wears mask in public areas. A number of meetings of government and oppositions leaders are televised in which they shake hands and hug each other without wearing masks.
“The NCCC should decide that no such event will be covered (by the media) in which there will be violation of SOPs,” he said.
Meanwhile, three schools in Multan were closed on Tuesday after two female and one male teachers tested positive for coronavirus, said an official source. The schools were closed for 14 days under SOPs, the source said and added that health department would conduct random testing for global pandemic. —