Improved COVID-19 situation can worsen if people stop taking precautions: Asad Umar

Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said on Tuesday that although the coronavirus situation in the country has improved, it may still worsen if people stopped taking precautions.

In a press conference, the minister said that they were able to contain the spread of the novel virus due to their policies of contact tracing, smart lockdown and public awareness. He said 2350 lockdowns were enforced in the country while 85 smart lockdowns are still imposed in 20 districts.

Comparing Pakistan's positivity rate and death toll with India's, Umar said the positivity rate in Pakistan is around three whereas the positivity rate is 9.4 in India. He further said the positivity rate in Bangladesh is 23/24 which is eight times higher than Pakistan's.

The minister, however, warned that the pandemic is not yet and the cases may again rise if people stop following the SOPs. He urged people to strictly follow the precautionary measures to completely overcome the pandemic.