ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will begin lifting some restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus from May 9, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday, hours after the country announced its highest single-day increase in new cases so far.
Pakistan, where a poorly enforced lockdown has been in place since late March, has recorded 24,073 cases of Covid-19, with 564 deaths. On Thursday the authorities said there had been 1,523 new cases and 38 deaths in the preceding 24 hours.
“We’re deciding that we are ending this lockdown now,” Khan said in a televised address. “We know that we’re doing it at a time when our curve is going up…. but it is not edging up as we were expecting.”
Pakistan’s labourers and poor cannot survive under lockdown any more, Khan said.
He said the shutdown will be lifted in phases, urging people to act responsibly. “This lockdown which we are opening partially and in phases from day after tomorrow we all have to take responsibility for this.”
The government’s handling of the outbreak has been met with strong criticism from scientists and doctors who have expressed grave concern that the outbreak will gather pace among a population of more than 200 million and overwhelm Pakistan’s struggling health system.
Planning Minister Asad Umar said as part of the first phase small markets and shops will be allowed to open until 5 pm, although big shopping malls and other spaces which attract big crowds would remain closed for now.
A decision to open inter-city transport and railways operations will be taken later, while schools will remain closed until July 15, Umar said.
Khan warned that the restrictions could be restored anytime if the outbreak worsens. – May 7, 2020, Reuters
