–Govt allows opening of small markets, shops, OPDs and allied industries related to construction sector
–Schools to remain shut till mid-July, exams cancelled; hotels, marriage halls, shopping malls and parks to remain closed
–Plan to resume transport services, including trains and flights, dropped after provinces’ resistance
–Pakistan reports over 1,300 corona cases in one day as death toll reach 593
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to gradually lift the lockdown restrictions, imposed to contain the coronavirus, from Saturday, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced after the National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting on Thursday.
“Today we have decided to lift the lockdown in phases, starting from Saturday,” said Imran while speaking alongside Federal Ministers Asad Umar and Shafqat Mehmood.
The announcement came in spite of the 46 deaths, highest recorded so far in the country, as the total number of coronavirus cases shot to 24,954 with the addition of over 1,300 cases in a single day. From April 28 to May 7, 297 coronavirus deaths have been reported in the country; these account for more than 49.7 per cent of the total number of deaths till May 7, which stands at 593.
Punjab and Sindh have the highest number of infection, with 9,195 and 9,093 cases, respectively. Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have reported 1,725 and 3,956 cases each. In Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan, the infection swelled to 521 and 388, respectively. However, Azad Kashmir has the lowest number of cases, with 76 infections so far.
‘MARKETS ALLOWED TO RESUME OPERATIONS, SCHOOLS TO REMAIN SHUT’:
Revealing the decisions taken in the meeting, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar announced that small markets and shops in neighbourhoods and rural areas will be allowed to open from Fajr after Sehri till 5pm.
He said that all businesses, except outlets of essential items such as food and medicine, will remain closed two days of the week on Saturdays and Sundays.
The minister said it was unanimously decided to open allied industries of the construction sector, which include paint and pipe mills, tiles, electrical and industry and hardware stores across Pakistan.
Selected OPDs will also be opened to treat specific diseases and illnesses.
Educational institutions, which were previously tipped to open on June 1, will now remain closed till July 15. The government has also cancelled all board examinations and students will now be passed/failed based on their results from the previous year.
Announcing the decisions, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood said: “Students’ health and their education cannot be compromised.”
Pakistan had reported its first Covid-19 positive case on Feb 26 following which the government adopted a number of precautionary measures short of a national lockdown despite repeated calls by the opposition parties and the civil society to do so. The prime minister refused to oblige, noting that a nationwide lockdown will result in “poor dying from hunger”.
However, as the toll began to surge, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government in Sindh entered a province-wide lockdown, bringing life to a halt. The lead was followed by the rest of the provinces/administrative units which imposed quarantines, even suspending intra-city and inter-provincial transport.
The prime minister observed that the country cannot afford to remain in extended lockdown as “our people are suffering financially”.
While acknowledging that the government has launched Ehsaas emergency cash programme — the most “expansive and generous” social welfare programme in the country’s history — the prime minister noted that due to dwindling revenues, it was not possible for the government to keep its welfare services liquid for “much long”.
Prime Minister Imran announced that public transport, however, will remain suspended on provinces’ concerns. “I believe it [public transport] should be reopened because it is the common man’s mode of transport but the provinces have reservations. We do not want to make decisions unless there is unanimity,” he said.
He acknowledged that the number of positive cases is ticking up as are fatalities. “We always knew that this is bound to happen. Our concern, however, was that the number of cases should not rise so high and rapidly that health facilities are burdened,” he said, adding: “That has, fortunately, not happened.”
“While the people are concerned about the second wave of the virus, the government has to take into consideration the monetary implications of the quarantine.”
“Every business has been affected by this lockdown,” he said as he noted that the low-income groups have been hit the hardest.
“For how long can we do that though,” he asked.
NO FLIGHTS OR TRAIN SERVICE:
According to an official who was present at the meeting, the provinces were fully on board with the decision to relax the lockdown and that the federal government took all the reservations into account.
“The federal government was of the view that inter-city transport, trains and flight operations should resume. However, the provinces didn’t agree. Hence, the idea was dropped for the time being,” the official said.
The official said that mega malls, shopping plazas and big markets will remain closed too. However, the textile industry is already functional.
Asked about hotels, parks, golf and gymkhana clubs, the official said that opening of parks was under consideration but the decision has been delayed for the time being.
“Luxury buildings like golf and gymkhana clubs would be the last sector to be opened. Hotels have not yet been discussed. Restaurants, marriage halls and marquees will remain closed too. Only take-away will be allowed from restaurants. However, roadside restaurants will open,” the official added.
‘GOVT MAY REPATRIATE 13-14,000 PEOPLE PER WEEK’:
SAPM on National Security Dr Moeed Yusuf clarified that not all of the stranded Pakistanis being flown back to the country are testing positive for the coronavirus. “This is a misconception. Please do not stigmatise those returning to the country,” he said.
He added that the government is in the process of talking to those countries from where 40 to 50 per cent of the returning passengers had tested positive.
“We can’t bring back all at once because we would need to test every Pakistani coming back. We are considering to bring 13 to 14,000 people per week,” he added.
Yusuf stated that the country’s air flights to repatriate stranded Pakistan will continue, as per the prime minister’s directions, adding that it was not possible for the government to bring back all 120,000 registered at once.
