(Karachi) Dismissing rumours of imposing complete lockdown in the country amid spike in COVID cases, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has said that the government is not considering any such plan, local media reported.

Speaking to a private TV channel, Umar said that imposing complete lockdown is not the solution as it will affect the livelihood of the people.

He added that the government raised awareness among the people during the first wave of the coronavirus but they did not follow the SOPs leading to a dramatic surge in infections. "You cannot shut down the entire country and steal people's livelihoods," he stated.

However, the minister said smart lockdown is being imposed in COVID hotspots and such targeted interventions are taken so that it would not affect people's livelihoods.

The minister said the NCOC has identified coronavirus hotspot areas to provincial governments but the implementation of these smart lockdowns is not satisfactory, he pointed out.

A few days ago, Asad Umar had said that the government might impose another lockdown in parts of the country if there is a continued increase in coronavirus cases.

He expressed concern over rising coronavirus cases, saying the new wave of coronavirus has started in Pakistan and lockdown can be imposed in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to curb the spread of coronavirus.

He stated that the COVID-19 tests positivity ratio in the country is increasing which is alarming.

Earlier, Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that the government might impose strict restrictions and smart lockdowns in the coming days.

Later, the minister said in a statement he did not state that the government will impose a complete lockdown from March 22.