LAHORE: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has demanded the government to impose a full, countrywide lockdown to control the rising number of coronavirus cases.
The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), along with other representative organizations, held a joint press conference in Lahore on Sunday, stressed the importance of taking strict measures to contain the outbreak of coronavirus.
The conference was presided over by PMA President Dr Ashraf Nizami, while he was joined by PMA Lahore’s Vice-President Dr Khalid Mahmood Khan, PMA Lahore’s Lady Vice-President Dr Erum Shahzadi, President of PMA Punjab Dr Tanveer Anwar, Pakistan Islamic Medical Association’s Punjab President Dr Imran Zafar, and several other physicians.
PMA President Dr Ashraf Nizami said that aside from imposing a full-fledged lockdown, the government must also ensure the availability of coronavirus vaccines to the public.
Dr Ashraf Nizami said owing to a surge in COVID-19 cases, the government must immediately declare a state of emergency, especially in Punjab. The government had previously adopted a lockdown policy due to the mounting pressure from different organizations, he added.
The PMA president appealed to the federal government for a 100 percent lockdown policy. He further said that the lockdown should also include a ban on religious and public gatherings.
He informed that the countrywide COVID-19 positivity ratio has exceeded 10 percent, adding that despite that, the government has committed criminal negligence in the provision of vaccines.
on Saturday, Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar dismissed rumors that the country was heading towards a “complete lockdown”.
“Complete lockdown is not the solution,” Asad Umar said. “We tried to explain that to people during the first wave of the coronavirus but they did not understand. You cannot shut down the entire country and steal people’s livelihoods,” added the minister.
The minister said the NCOC had identified coronavirus hotspot areas to provincial governments. He said the implementation of these smart lockdowns was not satisfactory.
As of Sunday, there were 3,677 new COVID-19 cases reported across the country. According to the NCOC, there were 44 coronavirus deaths reported on March 20, while the overall positivity ratio has increased to 8.7%. At present, there are 31,107 active coronavirus cases in the country.
