Lockdown a temporary solution to Covid-19 crisis: PM.

Byline: Syed Irfan Raza

ISLAMABAD -- On the first day of formal lifting of the countrywide lockdown on Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan said it was being recongnised internationally that lockdown was a temporary solution to the prevailing coronavirus crisis.

As the total number of Covid-19 cases stood at 31,728 on Monday, with 691 deaths, the prime minister said the lockdown had been lifted for the sake of the poor and keeping the wheel of the economy moving, besides implementing precautionary measures to control the rise in coronavirus trajectory in the country.

'It has been recognised internationally that the lockdown is a temporary solution to the coronavirus crisis,' Mr Khan said while presiding over a meeting on the Covid-19 situation in the country. 'We have eased restrictions of lockdown keeping in view of people's miseries and starvation of poor and daily wage earners,' he added.

The prime minister had announced lifting the lockdown on Thursday, and Monday was the first day of opening of markets and several other businesses from early morning to 5pm. However, it was observed that on the very first day of lifting of the lockdown, people did not observe the government's SOPs, especially in markets and shops.

People ignore SOPs on first day of lifting of lockdown; 1,312 new virus cases, 30 deaths reported in 24 hours

Prime Minister Khan said impAleAmentation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) was imperative, besides enforcing the lockdown. Responding to some complaints regarding testing of the viral disease, he said concerns expressed by some circles of society should be addressed and people should be asked to undergo Covid-19 test whenever they felt some symptoms of the disease in them.

The prime minister again endorsed the option of self-quarantine at home if a Covid-19 patient did not want to be hospitalised or...

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