Country could still face spike in cases from May 15: PM

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday warned that though the number of cases in Pakistan is lower than many other countries of the world, the country might face increased coronavirus cases from May 15 onwards, bringing the healthcare system under a significant pressure.

Speaking at a presser, he said the country has less Covid-19 cases compared to a large number of countries in the world as the federal government took the timely decision of imposing a lockdown.

"50,000 cases were expected by April 25, but we were saved from the disaster as we implemented lockdown in March when there were only 25 cases in the country. Our new projections suggest that we will have 12,000 to 15,000 coronavirus patients," he added. However, he warned that the situation can escalate anytime if the safety protocols are not followed.

"The pressure we expected earlier can now be felt next month," he declared.

The prime minister said that the bigger challenge being faced by the country is of unemployment of poor people, who are mostly daily wage earners, adding the biggest problem is that the labour workforce is not registered in our country.

He said the government reopened the construction industry to protect people from unemployment and hunger, adding that all other sectors would be reopened gradually.

On April 3, the prime minister unveiled an amnesty scheme for the construction sector, while elevating its status to that of an industry.

Subsequently on April 14, while the lockdown was extended for another two weeks, the construction sector along with some other essential industries was allowed to reopen.

The prime minister said the government decided to gradually ease the lockdown as lifting it immediately would defeat its purpose.

He directed the law enforcers, especially the police, not to take strict measures during the lockdown.

"I want them [police] to understand that people won't follow the lockdown with force. The lockdown will only work if people understand that it is for their own benefit," he added.

The prime minister warned smugglers, hoarders and profiteers that stern action would be taken against them. He called upon the nation to take precautionary measures while going to mosques in Ramzan.

Taking a jibe at the Sindh provincial government, he said that it must not create panic among masses through statements that the government was hiding the total number of deaths caused by novel coronavirus, as it was not the time for political point-scoring.

The prime minister called upon the provinces to stay united in the time of crisis.

He also said the government took effective decisions in consultation with all provinces and Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan to mitigate adverse impacts of coronavirus pandemic.

He said that the National Command and Control Center is engaged in collecting data and statistics about coronavirus situation on a daily basis.

The prime minister sought cooperation of all stakeholders, including media and civil society, in lessening the burden on common man during the lockdown.

He also paid tribute to doctors, paramedics and others staff affiliated with the healthcare sector for their frontline role in the war against the Covid-19.

The prime minister also ordered keeping a strict vigil on the demand and supply of wheat and other commodities to avert any shortage during the holy month of Ramazan.

He once again warned that the government will take strict action against those involved in hoarding, smuggling, and corruption across the country, adding an ordinance about hoarding has already been enforced, while another ordinance about smuggling will be enforced within a day.

Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, who attended the presser via a video link, also expressed concerns about prevailing circumstances, saying that the situation is still "uncertain".

He said precautionary measures should be followed, including social distancing, during the ongoing battle against coronavirus.

Umar expressed the confidence that the government's capability of conducting coronavirus tests has increased fivefold in a month.

He urged the opposition leaders to refrain from politicizing the prevailing situation and join hands with the government in ongoing fight against the Covid-19.

"The prime objective of the government is to think of the underprivileged before taking important decisions. We must not think only of those residing in Defence or E-sector [of Islamabad's posh society] alone," he added.

"We should think about the people residing in katchi abadis (slums) as well," he added.

The minister said that the government was procuring ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to combat the rising number of cases, adding "we also need to increase our testing capacity at once as our aim is to conduct 25,000 tests daily by month end."

Federal Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar said the government will announce another relief package for small business entrepreneurs within two weeks.

He expressed the confidence that the government is mulling the option of providing interest-free loans and relaxation in electricity bills to small business entrepreneurs in near future.

Speaking on the occasion, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Division Dr Moeed Yusuf said the government will soon allow commercial flights to resume their operations.

Prime Minister's Focal Person Dr Faisal Sultan, on the occasion, said that scientific analysis of coronavirus data is being done to reduce burden on healthcare system.