ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Monday that the government expected coronavirus cases to peak in Pakistan by end of July or August, and urged the people to follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs); otherwise, the situation would become grave in the days ahead.

Addressing the nation, after chairing a meeting to review the coronavirus situation, the prime minister regretted that people were not taking the pandemic seriously and not following the SOPs.

The prime minister added that the meeting reviewed all the data and it suggested that coronavirus cases would peak by the end of July or August.

There is no doubt the virus cases would spread as were spreading in other countries, and the government wanted the people to wear masks, and follow announced SOPs to slow down the spread of the virus, so that there was no pressure on the hospitals, he added.

The prime minister said that daily wager and laborers faced difficult time due to the lockdown, and added that no country could afford to shut the economic activities due to its ramifications on the poor.

The prime minister forewarned the people that if they did not follow the SOPs, the coming days would be very difficult, but if they followed the SOPs and precautionary measures, the pandemic could be managed.

He further stated that, "I urge the people to follow the precautions for the sake of their loved ones, and those who are elderly or suffering from diseases such as diabetics or sugar".

The premier added that the purpose of lockdown had been to prevent the fast spread of the virus.

The entire world has now understood that lockdown was not a solution for the Covid-19 pandemic, he added.

The prime minister said there had been a global trend that coronavirus spreads rapidly before peaking and then flattened.

He said that the government had been trying to get at least 1,000 more beds for hospitals in the ongoing month. He added that even developed countries such as the United States, where the coronavirus cases and fatalities were the highest, had decided to reopen the country with the SOPs.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020

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