Strict lockdowns will result in starvation: Imran

Ag APP

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan once again reiterated his staunch opposition to strict coronavirus lockdowns on Sunday, which he said “is like making people go hungry” and called upon the Sindh government to think of the poor when considering such measures.

His remarks came as restrictions in the province entered their second day. A day earlier, the Sindh government relaxed some measures after intense backlash from government ministers, who cited the economic impact of the lockdown.

Sindh government imposed the lockdown after Delta variant driven infections in the province were spiralling out of control, particularly in provincial capital Karachi, which is the considered to be the economic engine of the country.

As of Sunday, Karachi was the hardest-hit in the latest surge, with 2,600 new infections, accounting for more than half of the nation’s single-day cases of 5,026. The city’s positivity ratio was an alarming 24 per cent, compared with Pakistan’s 8.82 per cent.

Ventilators occupancy in Karachi was 19 per cent, while oxygen beds use was the highest in the country at 55 per cent. Across the country, active cases in Pakistan stood at 69,756, with 62 deaths, 29 of which were from Sindh province.

Khan, speaking in a live television broadcast Aapka Wazir-e-Azam Aap Kai Sath’, acknowledged that while locking down was the right thing to do as it would certainly reduce the spread of the coronavirus, the decision which should be considered is one would save the country, its people and the economy

“Never go for a lockdown unless you have answers for these issues,” he said, maintaining that imposing a complete lockdown would lead to starvation. “How can you ask the hungry to stay indoors?”

The Prime Minister referred to the situation in India where an ill-advised abrupt lockdown “caused destruction”. The government there “only thought of the elite classes”. He suggested that smart lockdowns could be imposed on areas identified as hotspots, on weddings and in schools, which should not be reopened unless all the teachers—and students—are vaccinated.

He however, underlined that vaccination is “the only solution” to cope with the emerging situation. The Prime Minister said so far 30 million people have received vaccine doses throughout the country.

He urged the nation to fully adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ward off the threat of the most contagious Delta variant. The Prime Minister said after witnessing the situation across the globe, it was observed that the Delta variant is proving more lethal due to its fast spread.

“Allah Almighty has blessed us in the past as we took the most difficult but timely decisions, which helped us save lives and the economy from the impacts of coronavirus,” he added.

He said through prudent decisions, the government had saved 220 million people from the debilitating effects of previous coronavirus waves with scientific decisions and valuable guidance and input provided by the NCOC.

The Prime Minister said wearing masks could reduce coronavirus spread by 60 to 70 per cent. “Where there is an assembly of people, please do wear a mask—especially in enclosed spaces,” he added.