Stricter lockdown be imposed if precautions not maintained: Shibli Faraz

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Syed Shibli Faraz has warned that a stricter lockdown can be imposed if people continued to ignore the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Addressing a press conference today, Shibli Faraz said that standard operating procedure (SOP)s must be strictly enforced by people while calling the pandemic a combined national problem that needs to be fought together.

Faraz noted that while the COVID-19 plague had so far caused less damage than the government expected, the number of cases are increasing because people were not following the SOPs to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The minister said the incumbent government is taking concrete measures to facilitate the marginalized segments of the society in the wake of COVID-19 epidemic.

Faraz said any strategy by the PM Imran Khan with regard to the COVID-19 response was focused on making sure the group that is economically weak in Pakistan were not drastically impacted by the epidemic.

He said on an international level, the world’s largest economic powers and major health infrastructures have not been able to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic,” he observed.

“We, on the other hand, are a poor country, in which 75% people depend on business and daily wages,” he added.

The labourers and daily-wagers, he added, were part of the informal, unregistered economy. He said “The COVID-19 spreads at a fast pace and imposing lockdown is not the cure to it… It only slows the spread of the virus”. 

He observed “If people take protective steps, we can tackle the situation. If we close specific areas, then the businesses of those areas will be affected.”

Shibli Faraz urged the people to follow the SOPs to prevent themselves from the COVID-19. He warned that the illness could affect anyone without discrimination.

The information minister said the COVID-19 would wreak havoc if people did not adhere to the measures for safety and that then they would be “responsible” for it.

He said projects started to hand out cash to the poor people, such as the Ehsaas Programme and others, were assist deserving families to maintain their livelihood because when business halts then these people suffer,” he added.

Faraz said PM Imran Khan had ordered authorities to ease the lockdown only to facilitate the downtrodden people of the country. It is now the responsibility of the people to observe all protective steps to stay safe, he concluded.