Lockdown not a solution to coronavirus pandemic: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan has reiterated that imposing lockdown wasn’t a solution to the coronavirus pandemic.

Addressing the nation today (Monday) on coronavirus outbreak, PM Imran said, “When a country imposes lockdown restrictions, the spread of the coronavirus is slowed down.”

However, he said, “We, as a people, must realise that Pakistan is a poor country and we have no other choice but to reopen the businesses,” adding, “The entire world has understood that lockdowns aren’t a solution.”

“Coronavirus is going nowhere, at least this year. That means we have to live with it following safety guidelines,” Khan said.

Pakistan has been ranked among the riskiest countries for coronavirus in a recent study on nations and safety against the pandemic.

The 250-page study of 200 countries around the world was conducted by Deep Knowledge Group, a consortium of commercial and non-profit organisations owned by Hong Kong-based investment firm founded in 2014.

Pakistan came at 148th position out of a total of 200 nations, with a safety score of 370 (the highest being 752). It is the third-riskist nation in Asia and Pacific group with only Afghanistan (score 310) and Solomon Islands (score 350) ranked behind.

The coronavirus pandemic has killed 400,000 people since it emerged late last year as the number of cases surge in Brazil and India.

A total of 400,052 deaths have now been recorded, a figure that has doubled in the past month and a half. The United States is responsible for about one-quarter of all fatalities but deaths in South America are rapidly rising.

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