Decision about easing lockdown will be taken on April 14: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said that decision about easing the countrywide lockdown will be taken after seeking inputs from all provinces on April 14.

Addressing a press briefing at Governor House in Quetta, the prime minister stressed the need for unity to fight coronavirus pandemic, saying that the government and the nation will jointly fight against the COVID-19. The prime minister said the federal and provincial governments are working in cohesion to cope with the situation arising out of novel coronavirus.

PM Imran said that the demand for testing kits and ventilators is going up across the world, expressing fear that hospitals will face immense pressure due to a likely surge in coronavirus cases by the end of this month.

The prime minister said that the government should benefit from the Chinese expertise to control the further spread of coronavirus in the country. He said the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) is observing the coronavirus situation across the country.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan visited coronavirus quarantine centre at Bolan Medical College Hospital Quetta. He was accompanied by Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal, Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri and Yar Muhammad Rind.

Chief Secretary Balochistan briefed the prime minister about the current situation and the steps taken by the authorities to stem the spread of the virus in the province. He also chaired a meeting in Quetta to review the coronavirus situation in Balochistan.

Meanwhile, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani on Tuesday the lockdown rules will be relaxed on April 14 and will be made more lenient for the trader’s community who had warned to reopen shops and markets for business. 

In a statement, Ghani said that the rules under the coronavirus lockdown will be relaxed after April 14 so that some sectors will be given conditional permission to resume their operations. He reminded people to continue heeding the lockdown rules as per the law until the aforementioned day and cooperate with the government and law-enforcement agencies.

The government of Sindh had extended the lockdown until April 14, issuing new orders and guidelines to encourage social distancing and safety precautions to contain the spread of the virus.