European countries opting for smart lockdowns.

ISLAMABAD: Contrary to earlier harsher lockdowns which led the economies to a grinding halt in different countries of Europe, now a number of these countries are opting for smart or selective lockdowns.

This approach is vehemently and consistently advocated by Prime Minister Imran Khan to face the challenge of coronavirus pandemic without imperilling the economy and pushing huge masses into margins of unemployment, hunger and poverty.

According to a report of Ferdinando Giugliano, a renowned columnist on the European economics for the 'Bloomberg View', said the European Union countries are experimenting with new ways of dealing with the coronavirus.

Germany, Portugal and Italy have all enforced selective or "smart" lockdowns, shutting down smaller regions in response to new outbreaks as opposed to bringing their entire countries to a halt.

This approach is the only hope of returning to a more normal life as we wait for a vaccine. However, it also puts a much larger onus on the public sector compared to generalized lockdowns. Health officials have to ensure small outbreaks do not get out of control and force the need for harsher measures.

Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday took to his twitter account to draw a parallel between these approaches and highlighted his government's successful strategy for smart lockdown which was yielding tangible and positive results.

"My team was amongst the first to enforce smart lockdowns. I am proud of it for helping me continue to navigate our country through the Covid19 crisis. InshaAllah, from now onwards if we follow SOPs we will see off the worst of this crisis," he posted on his twitter account.

According to Bloomberg report, Germany has seen a number of outbreaks in abattoirs, leading local governments to declare new lockdowns, such as in the municipality of Guetersloh, and enforce partial lockdowns, such as in the nearby town of Warendorf.

"But if Europe is successful in this new phase of its fight against the pandemic, the economic and social...