Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) on Sunday said that the country saw a 28% reduction in critical COVID-19 cases due to the “smart lockdown” and the implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs).
According to the NCOC, the government’s decision to impose “smart lockdown” in areas reporting a spike in cases has produced the desired results as the number of cases has seen a steady decline.
The NCOC said “a significant reduction in the number of positive cases has emerged as the country crossed the 100-day mark in its fight against coronavirus.
It added, “Smart lockdowns, a stronger enforcement effort, compliance of SOPs and the nationwide change in the behaviour can be credited for the current gains in the fight against COVID-19.”
The NCOC added that as countries around the world juggle with strategies to flatten the COVID-19 curve, Pakistan’s strategy won an unexpected endorsement from the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Guterres in his Twitter post had acknowledged that there was no choice between health or jobs in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. “They are interlinked. We will either win on all fronts or fail on all fronts,” said the UN Secretary-General.
WHO chief recognises Pakistan’s ‘positive trend’
Earlier this week World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom lauded Pakistani government’s response against the coronavirus pandemic and “recognised the positive trend of virus curtailment” in the country.
