Prime Minister Imran says ignoring coronavirus SOPs can cause 'spikes in cases' in Eid-ul-Azha, Muharram

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan may see a "spike in cases" of deadly coronavirus if people do not follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) predetermined in the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha and the holy month of Muharram, Prime Minister Imran Khan warned on Monday.

Prime Minister Imran's warning comments came almost three weeks after he advised people not to repeat "what they did at Eid-ul-Fitr" and to exercise additional caution on Eid-ul-Azha to avoid a resurgence of the coronavirus.

In a televised address to the nation, he said that the situation in Pakistan was quite different from that of China, the United States, and other European countries. Due to the 'smart block' strategy, "we were able to contain the spread of the coronavirus and now everyone is recognizing its benefits," he said.

The prime minister said that Pakistan's strategy to fight the virus had to be different since the vast majority of daily bets in the country were unregistered. "70-80% of workers in our country are not registered, therefore, the approach had to be different from that of European countries.

India 'now suffering'

"We could not take any drastic steps such as imposing a curfew. We feared that more people would die of hunger and poverty than the Crown itself.

"India is now suffering from the results of its decisions and people are suffering in the neighborhood," he said.

The world is admitting and accepting that the closure was not the only solution to the virus situation, the prime minister emphasized, adding that Pakistan was also focusing on the agricultural sector since "we do not want distortions and interruptions in the food supply "

Prime Minister Imran lamented criticism of the reopening of the construction sector, but stressed that "we take the risk and set our priorities to save people from hunger and poverty." He added that the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Program was implemented as part of the party's agenda to provide protection to the vulnerable segment of society.

'Lowest mortality rate' in three months

"There is no precedent for the Ehsaas program in the world, [one] where the impoverished segment of society received help through transparent and synchronized operations."

"Even when we were imposing a smart block, we strategically implemented the block with groups," he said.

The Prime Minister thanked his team for their efforts to deal with the crisis and said: "I want to credit my team for achieving those results. After three months, Pakistan has reported the lowest death rate compared to the past.

"We need to understand that the world is still experimenting with strategies to curb the virus. It has also been observed that if countries do not strategize for the post-pandemic world, the virus may return with a spike in countries."

Reluctance to follow SOPs at Eid-ul-Fitr

"We have examples from Australia, Iran, and other countries where the virus has returned and the increase in cases is reported once again," he explained.

The Prime Minister again emphasized that people pay attention to SOPs in the coming days and noted: "If we will not be cautious during the Eid ul Adha and Muharram period, we could again see an increase in cases that will be devastating for the country".

"We have an example from Eid-ul-Fitr, where we were reluctant to comply with SOPs, front-line workers were very affected and we saw an increase in cases," said the prime minister.

Prime Minister Imran said "our investigation" suggested that the most effective measure to keep the virus at bay was to wear face masks. It is quite simple and an easy preventative measure to take, he said.

'I have to get back to normal'

"Once again I ask everyone to be careful with SOPS during the Eid-ul-Azha period," he urged. "If the nation cooperates, we have to resume our main sectors of the country, including business, construction, and tourism.

"We have to get back to normal. We will resume schools, universities, and restaurants if the numbers of the virus continue to decline. We have to fight the disease collectively as a nation, together."

"I hope that you will cooperate with us during these crucial times of Eid-ul-Azha and Muharram when large gatherings are expected."

Earlier today, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Health, Dr. Zafar Mirza, revealed that Pakistan reported its lowest number of deaths from the coronavirus in the past three months on Sunday, when only 20 people died from the infection.

Less evidence due to "reduced symptoms"

The assistant prime minister had revealed that current statistics indicated an 87% drop in COVID-19 deaths. "We had a peak of 153 deaths on June 20 and in the last24 hours we had 20, "he wrote on Twitter.

Critics have said a drop in Pakistan's coronavirus cases was due to the government evaluating fewer people. However, Prime Minister Imran's focal person at COVID-19, Dr. Faisal Sultan, rejected the claims at a press conference yesterday.

Dr. Sultan said a lower test rate was observed due to a "reduction in symptoms seen in people."

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