ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday addressed the nation on the coronavirus epidemic, urging people not to panic over the dreaded disease which is spreading across the country.
The prime minister said that the virus was dangerous for old people since it attacked their already-weakened immune system. He urged people not to panic, saying that 97 percent of the affectees recovered from the virus.
“First of all, you should not panic,” the premier said in his address to the nation, adding that the public should take all necessary precautions to prevent and ultimately defeat the virus.
Admitting that the arrivals from Iran worsened the situation, the prime minister praised the government of Balochistan and the Pakistan Army for ensuring that pilgrims arriving from Taftan were quarantined. PM Imran said that the government was following the coronavirus situation closely and was also in contact with Iran and China since the outbreak.
The prime minister spoke about the coronavirus situation around the world, saying that the US, Italy and England have reacted differently to the virus. However, he said that Pakistan cannot afford the same response as European countries.
“Our economic situation is very fragile. We cannot lockdown the country as it will affect the poor. People will die of hunger here,” he said, adding that situation was not as worse as European countries to take such extreme steps.
PM Imran said that the government took the difficult decision to prohibit public gatherings and events where people show up in huge numbers such as the Pakistan Super League. He warned that although the government and people will have to take precautions, the virus will spread further.
The prime minister said that an economic committee will determine how the government can cope with the situation. He said that he feared food prices will once again rise as profiteers and hoarders will take advantage and resume their illegal activities.
He said that the virus was spreading in countries and the government was studying responses of other governments and how they were acting to eliminate the pandemic.
He urged people to join hands with the government in its ‘war’ against infection and act responsibly. He urged people to avoid large gatherings and refrain from shaking hands with each other.
PM Imran urged the nation not to panic and said that every person should not get tested based on only mild flu or cough symptoms. He said that testing kits should be used for only those were really suffering from the virus, as even developed countries cannot conduct tests on every person.
He also praised the efforts of doctors and nurses and said that the government will help them in their ‘Jihad’ against the coronavirus. He said that he understood the plight of overseas Pakistanis at this hour particularly the Pakistani students stranded in Chinese city of Wuhan.
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