ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday advised the people to celebrate the upcoming festival of Eid-ul-Azha with simplicity and not be careless as the COVID-19 curve was flattening in the country.
“I appeal to my people not to do again what they did on previous Eid (Eidul Fitr). Any public gathering reasons the spread of the virus and puts pressure on hospitals, doctors and nurses besides causing deaths,” the prime minister remarked talking to media persons after inaugurating the first-ever Isolation Hospital and Infections Treatment Centre here.
The Isolation Hospital and Infection Treatment Centre, which has 250 beds, has been built in just 40 days. The Chinese government had provided $4 million for the construction of the facility.
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa, Chinese Ambassador to Islamabad Yao Jing, and other high-ranking officials were present at the occasion too.
PM Imran credited the implementation of the smart lockdown across the country for bearing positive results.
The prime minister said the effective measures collectively taken by the provinces as advised by the NCOC, had amazingly led to the flattening of coronavirus curve even before the projected time frame.
He said as the infection rate was on a downward trend, it could also surge again if the people showed negligence and violated the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
“I appeal the people to celebrate this Eid with simplicity. The SOPs have been formulated for the Eid. Just for sake of national economy and well being of old-aged people and already ailing people, it is essential to observe Eid with simplicity,” the prime minister said who earlier visited different sections of the hospitals after unveiling its plaque.
He lauded the tremendous work by the NDMA for completion of the facility in record 100 days period despite the lockdown impeding the movement of the people and transportation of material.
He said the completion of such a specialised hospital manifested the political will of the government to carry out the challenging task in a difficult time.
As of today, Pakistan has reported more than 240,800 cases of the coronavirus, and more than 4,900 deaths.