Pakistan lifts lockdown even as Covid-19 cases surge

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday lifted the weeks-long lockdown that was enforced to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, even as the country reported 1,637 new cases of infected patients and 24 casualties in the last 24 hours.
The soldiers who were patrolling the roads along with police since mid-March returned to barracks while people were seen in large numbers in markets busy shopping.
The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), a national body of health professionals, urged the government again to follow the World Health Organisation protocols and implement strict lockdown to minimise the spread of Covid-19.
“We think the number will definitely spike. According to our information, there are five hospitals in Karachi that have a total of 63 beds reserved for corona patients. If this is the condition in a city like Karachi, then you can imagine what it would be like in other cities of Pakistan,” Dr Ikram Tunio, a PMA representative said at a presser in Karachi.
The latest developments came following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s announcement on Thursday that he was ending the lockdown in phases because his government was unable to financially help millions of poor who rely on daily earnings to survive and support their families. Although Pakistan has lifted curbs on several economic sectors and allowed business activities to reopen, all academic institutions will remain shut until July 15.
Earlier, Khan’s government had succumbed to pressure from the powerful clergy by allowing mosques to reopen for congregational prayers.
So far, Pakistan has reported 623 deaths due to Covid-19 while the number of confirmed cases of infected people has risen to 28,600. According to the government’s latest tally, there are 10,771 Covid-19 cases in the southern Sindh province, 10,471 in Punjab, 4,327 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,873 in Balochistan, 609 in Islamabad, 421 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 79 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.