Smart lockdown is the only way to fight virus, says Imran
COMPLETE CLOSURE MEANT COLLAPSE OF THE ECONOMY, PM ASSERTS
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that continuing economic activities with smart lockdown is the best way to fight coronavirus.
“The world has discovered the smart lockdown as the only strategy to contain the contagion besides continuing the economic activity with certain standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place,” Imran emphasises in his tweet. He said that sweeping lockdown would only lead to economic disaster.
Prime Minister Imran said that Pakistan is among the pioneers of smart lockdown approach. In a series of tweets, Imran observed that a complete lockdown meant collapse of the economy and in poorer countries a steep rise in poverty, crushing the poor as happened in many countries. Smart lockdown ensures action in the areas which are most affected with Covid-19. In his tweets, Imran explained the dilemma his country is facing in fighting coronavirus pandemic.
Video clip
Imran also tagged a video clip from a private TV programme in which the interviewees were expressing their carelessness about the pandemic. “This video shows the dilemma confronting our govt today: On the one hand we have the masses who are not taking Covid-19 pandemic seriously & on the other hand, understandably, we have our front line doctors & health professionals, who are at great
risk, & some of our elite wanting a lockdown — the elite who have the privilege of spacious homes & income unaffected by fallout of lockdown,” he tweeted. “Only solution as world has discovered is smart lockdown which allows for economic activity with SOPs. We are among pioneers of this approach,” he posted.
The prime minister appealed to the civil society, media, Ulema and the tiger force ‘to create awareness among the public of Covid-19’s severity and the need to strictly observe SOPs’,” he said. Imran also ruled out the possibility of a sweeping lockdown and urged people to follow the SOPs.
In his tweets, Imran explained the dilemma his country is facing in fighting coronavirus pandemic.