THE idea of smart lockdown faced a lot of criticism and especially ridiculed by the opponents of the PTI government as a failed one. However, the drop in Corona cases and deaths over the last few days indicate that the strategy has somewhat started to deliver, thus vindicating the stance of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Though the number of deaths has significantly dropped from over one hundred to sixty on Wednesday, yet there is no need to be complacent as the figures of deaths and infections are likely to go up and down in the days ahead. Government officials himself are on record saying that the months of July and August are very difficult ones as these could witness a sharp upsurge in the infections. What is required is the strict enforcement of smart lockdown in the hotspot areas. Up till now the authorities concerned have done a great work by ensuring strict compliance of restrictions in the hotspot areas and they need to work with the same spirit in the days ahead. Though this created many hardships for the people living in those areas, it was imperative to save the lives and flatten the curve of the contagion. Indeed a developing country like ours cannot afford a complete lockdown for a prolonged period. To revive economic activity and protect the livelihood of the vulnerable people, it was need of the hour to put in place such a system which on the one hand saves the life of our people and on the other hand keeps the economy afloat. Government has tried its level best to strike a balance in this regard and one expects that both the federal and provincial governments move ahead in a coordinated manner whilst rising above political point scoring to defeat the virus. Heavy responsibility also rests with the masses to ensure full compliance of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for their own safety as well as those of others. We will once again stress for launching a comprehensive awareness campaign in order to create urgency amongst the population about the disease.
