Lockdown Helps Reduce Pace Of Coronavirus Spread: Asad Umar

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Apr, 2020 ) :Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar said Sunday that the lockdown, which was extended upto April 14 with consensus, had helped reduce the pace of coronavirus spread across the country.

Speaking to media from Coronavirus Command and Control Center, the Federal minister said that it was a good news that the lockdown, so far, has helped in lessening the speed of coronavirus spread.

However, he maintained that this did not mean that disease was not spreading adding that had there been no lockdown, it would have witnessed speedy expansion, however the lockdown reduced its pace.

The minister thanked the people for following the lockdown strategy to a great extent, adding that most of the people were following precautionary health advises to save themselves and others form the coronavirus effects.

He stressed for continuing with the precautionary measures to fight back coronavirus.

The minister, however, said that the coming weeks can test Pakistan health system, adding that the government was improving capacity of hospitals, quatrain facilities, preparing ICU beds and ventilation capacity to deal with the emerging situation.

He said that so far the situation was in control, however next few weeks would be testing.

On the other hand, the minister added that the lockdown was having direct economic impact particularly affecting the labourers, poor, shopkeeper and vendors, however added if continued, it would also affect middle income people, who could not afford it for long time.

So the government would have to adopt a strategy in future that would not lead to closure of everything, rather it would have to keep it limited to targeted people and localities.

He said that there was need to build capacity to identify infectious people and areas, then make proper arrangement to keep them away from infecting others and help proper treatment of coronavirus patients. He said that work on developing technological network for such identification was in process.

The minister said that hundreds of thousands youth have shown their interest in the volunteer programme to help reach people.

He lauded efforts of medical professionals, security personal as well as social workers for their hard work and also appreciated people for adhering to the lockdown strategy to stop coronavirus from spread.