Coronavirus curve can unflatten if SOPs flouted on Eid, Muharram: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned that the coronavirus cases could spike again if the standard operating procedures (SOPs) were ignored on the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha and the holy month of Muharram.

In a televised address to the nation today (Monday), the Prime Minister has appealed to the people of Pakistan to exercise extra caution on Eid-ul-Azha so that a resurgence of the coronavirus could be avoided.  

Commenting on the declining number of coronavirus cases, the premier asserted that due to the smart lockdown policy, the government was able to prevent the coronavirus pandemic.

PM Imran reiterated that the entire world was now recognizing the benefits of ‘Smart Lockdown’ policy, introduced to contain the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 5,800 people across Pakistan. 

On July 26, Pakistan’s death toll from COVID-19 was the lowest in three months. In this regard, PM Imran said, “I am pleased to announce that the pressure on our hospital has considerably decreased.”

He further said, “We were under immense pressure to take similar measures that were being taken in Europe. We tried but we are a poor nation,” adding that the country’s situation is very different from the other affected countries.

 “We have no record of 70 to 80 percent of informal labourers. In this regard, my team decided that we have to impose a smart lockdown. We were the first to impose a balanced strategy to address the challenges of the pandemic,” he remarked.

The Prime Minister said, “We were the first to oppose a curfew-like lockdown in the country, for which I faced criticism initially.” Referring to India’s situation, he said that India was suffering the results of their decisions and the people were suffering in the neighborhood.