Govt has a 'holistic' strategy to fight the virus: SAPM Mirza

Special Assistant to PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said on Wednesday that the government is making decisions which are in the best interest of its people in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus, according to a Radio Pakistan report.

The SAPM, in a reference to the World Health Organisation’s letter, said that the government is following a ‘holistic strategy’ to fight the virus.

Mirza said that the government has made tough choices to ensure there is a balance between saving lives and sustaining livelihoods.

He said that the country has eased the lockdown restrictions, although it has enforced SOPs for public places, transportation, and industries.

Mirza said that the country has a ‘robust’ tracing, testing and quarantine policy to know about the hotspots and seal them.

“Currently there are more than seven hundred such smart lockdowns in place,” he said according to the publication.

He said that the country is also beefing up its healthcare system in order to facilitate more patients, adding that the government has formulated its policies based on best evidence on the virus and assessment of its own socio-economic condition.

The SAPM also lauded the role and guidance rendered by the WHO during the pandemic.

In a letter to the Punjab government on Tuesday, the WHO lauded the provincial government’s efforts in response to the pandemic.

However, the global health watchdog also recommended enforcing a strict two-week lockdown in Punjab as the number of coronavirus cases continues to grow in the province.

Cases increasing beyond 100,000 in Pakistan is a cause for concern, WHO said, adding that the SOPs should be followed vigorously.

As of today, Pakistan recorded more than 113,500 cases of the virus and above 2,200 deaths.