IN the backdrop of dramatic surge in the spread of Coronavirus
in almost all parts of the country, it was widely anticipated
that the Government might go for re-imposition of a stricter lockdown but Prime Minister Imran Khan has apparently opted for no change by continuing with his policy of opening more sectors and businesses. A meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) he chaired on Monday thoroughly reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the country and decided to continue pursuing the policy of maintaining balance between life and livelihood while ensuring strict implementation of SOPs to contain the spread of the virus.
The decision has come as media reports revealed Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar was informed by the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department a fortnight ago that “no workplace and residential area of any town is disease-free” in the provincial capital, and that total virus cases in the city are estimated at around 0.7 million. He was advised for immediate enforcement of complete lockdown for at least four weeks as partial or smart lockdown would not help. He was also told that six per cent of all those who were tested turned out positive for Covid-19, while some towns showed a positivity rate as high as 14.7pc. The very fact that instead of enforcing a complete lockdown, the Government relaxed the restrictions already imposed before Eid must have contributed to more complications and latest sample survey of Lahore and other cities would reveal the true picture.
Under these circumstances, opening of more sectors including tourism, as decided by the NCC on Monday, could create more problems especially in the KP and Northern Areas where the situation is already precarious. The onus has once again been put on the masses as the Prime Minister urged them to strictly follow the SOPs for gradual opening of more sectors of economy, as the Coronavirus was going nowhere at least for this year. Though he warned that the government would be left with no option but to impose curfew if more areas were affected by the virus but such warnings issued by relevant ministers time and again have not yielded any positive response from the people. It is also a fact that countries across Europe and Asia are also taking bolder steps in easing Coronavirus lockdowns, with schools, pubs, parks and pools reopening in places but they are cautiously returning to a new post-pandemic version of normal – with distancing restrictions or shortened hours that are followed strictly by their citizens and not ignored as we witness in Pakistan. Appreciably, the NCC allowed the opening of businesses for five days until 7pm by strictly observing the SOPs with no trading on Saturday and Sunday but the ground situation and caution demanded a break of three days and closure of businesses at five in the afternoon to minimize the risk.
The government is also moving towards more clarity as the Committee decided to devise a recommended list of businesses and commercial activities – unanimously agreed upon by the federal government and the federating units – would be circulated to the industry allowing them to resume their activities but this should be done after obtaining firm guarantees from their representative bodies to follow safety precautions. The wholesale reopening of offices and decision of some federal government departments to order all the employees to attend office on a daily basis is also not advisable. It is obvious offices cannot remain closed for an indefinite period but the policy of working with reduced strength should be followed for some more time in view of rapid spread of infection. The decision to bring back stranded Pakistanis is understandable in view of difficulties being faced by those who have been left in the lurch by the host governments. They should have been brought back much earlier as was done by other countries that came to the rescue of their citizens timely. Coming back to the decision of easing out more restrictions and allowing almost all sectors to resume their activities, it is now clear that the Government is unlikely to revert back to lockdown to contain the virus. However, it should not mean that people should be left at the mercy of virus and it is responsibility of the Government to enforce SOPs at all costs.
