Slowing down pandemic spread top priority: Asad Umar

Planning minister asks people to adopt precautionary measures and not to imperil lives of others

ISLAMABAD: Planning Minister Asad Umar on Saturday urged the people to follow precautionary measures against Covid-19 strictly to protect their lives and of others, as nationwide death toll from the deadly contagion topped 1,900.

Speaking at a media briefing at the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) in Islamabad, the minister warned that the people ignoring the precautionary measures were not only risking their own lives, but also the lives of others with whom they came in to contact with.

Umar paid rich tributes to the frontline medical staff and said the government was taking all possible steps to help them perform their duties. “By today [Saturday] more than 1,900 precious lives have so far been lost in Pakistan in this killer disease which shows the enormity and gravity of the situation,” he said.

“Our first and foremost priority is to slow down the pace of the spread of the pandemic. Two of the most important components of this strategy are to strictly follow the precautionary measures advised by medical community and to bring changes in our lifestyles,” he added.

Umar said district administrations across the country had been directed to take strict action where the people flout the rules and the standard operating procedures (SOPs). “The basic aim entrusted to the district administrations is to protect the lives of the people in Pakistan.”



He emphasised that government wanted to help everyone earn their livelihoods, but not at the cost of the health of others. “No one can be allowed to endanger life of others,” he warned, referring to 884 areas under the smart lockdown with more than 200,000 people affected due to the restrictions.

The planning minister said that the second priority of the government was to improve the health services for the people. In this regard, he added, work had been done to improve testing systems and “now over 22,000 tests are being conducted daily”.

According to the minister on February 26, when the first coronavirus case emerged in the country, there were only eight laboratories capable of conducting the virus test. “Now, this number has increased to dozens,” he continued.

“The number of ventilators in the country has seen twofold increases in four months. In addition, scientific institutions of the country in collaboration with private sector have started producing face masks and protective clothing,” he added.