ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has reiterated his stance on complete lockdown, saying that the only solution to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak is to implement a “smart lockdown” and adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs).
In a series of tweets, the prime minister said the world has discovered through experience that the only solution to the pandemic crisis is imposing a “smart lockdown” that allows economic activity to continue while implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“We are amongst [the] pioneers of this approach,” he said, referring to the smart lockdown strategy under which only virus hotspots are placed under lockdown.
The premier highlighted the “dilemma confronting our government” currently by sharing a news channel’s video report in which numerous Pakistanis can be heard casting doubts on the gravity of the coronavirus spread and terming it an “international conspiracy”.
This video shows the dilemma confronting our govt today: On the one hand we have the masses who are not taking the COVID19 pandemic seriously & on the other hand, understandably, we have our frontline doctors & health professionals, who are at great risk, & some of our elite pic.twitter.com/AEhs2V62Oq
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) June 6, 2020
“On the one hand we have the masses who are not taking the COVID19 pandemic seriously and on the other hand, understandably, we have our frontline doctors and health professionals, who are at great risk,” he said while commenting on the video.
He said some of the country’s “elite” wanted a lockdown to be imposed across the country but noted that these were people “who have the privilege of spacious homes and income unaffected by [the] fallout of lockdown”.
“A lockdown means [a] collapse of the economy and in poorer countries a steep rise in poverty, crushing the poor as happened in Modi’s lockdown in India,” he added.
The prime minister’s remarks come as Pakistan’s delicate healthcare system braces for an imminent peak of coronavirus cases, with a sharp rise in the number of deaths and hospitals reporting being overwhelmed with increasing cases of infection.
More than 5,000 cases of the virus were reported from across the country on Saturday, the highest daily increase in the number of infections since the first case was confirmed on February 26.
world has discovered is smart lockdown which allows for economic activity with SOPs. We are amongst pioneers of this approach.I appeal to civil society, media, Ulema & our tiger force to create awareness amongst the public of COVID19's severity & the need to strictly observe SOPs
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) June 6, 2020
