DESPITE a sharp rise in Coronavirus cases, the Government on Tuesday decided against complete lockdown of the country and instead declared its intention to focus on strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) devised for different sectors. Prime Minister Imran Khan, who chaired separate meetings of the federal cabinet and the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on Covid-19, emphasized that the country could not afford a return to the total lockdown strategy.
The dreaded second wave of the virus has already started mainly because of the care-free attitude of citizens and negligence of the businesses and institutions. There is an alarming surge in infections and deaths but regrettably the media too is not covering the issue as comprehensively as it used to cover during the first wave. In the given situation, the strategy adopted by the Government seems to be most appropriate and relevant. Sticking to the policy of ‘smart lockdown’, the Prime Minister called for ensuring a balance between disease control measures and livelihood of the people and urged provinces to ensure implementation of the trace, test and quarantine (TTQ) and smart lockdown strategy. The approach can deliver if federal and provincial governments work in unison and each and every member of the society cooperates in his/her own interest and that of others. The Government’s aversion to complete lockdown is understandable as, according to economic and financial experts, the country can ill-afford closure of all economic and social activities as it is already struggling hard to recover losses suffered during the first wave of the virus. However, it is also a fact that we are heading towards a dangerous situation where the Government might not be left with any other option but to resort to total lockdown to save lives. It now depends on people to follow SOPs voluntarily or wait for the situation to worsen when the authorities will have to take unavoidable decisions.