Prudent approach

Traders in Punjab have decided to resist the provincial government’s order for a nine-day lockdown of businesses on either side of Eid-ul-Azha meant to avoid mingling of people for shopping, thereby preventing a feared spike in the coronavirus infection which continues to die down across the country and needs to be suppressed further. The traders are genuinely worried – and angry too. They had barely reopened their shops and businesses and started to scrape a living that they have had to shut them again for no less than nine days, starting off right at the peak of the shopping season.

While the reservations of the traders are pretty understandable, they should also understand that a little more sacrifice from them will help make big gains in the national fight against Covid-19 pandemic. They should understand that we, as a nation, cannot afford to repeat the mistakes committed around the Eid-ul-Fitr festival when markets and shopping centres across the country were allowed open and train service and public transport resumed – only to see the coronavirus numbers making big jumps just in a week or so.

Let’s look at the statistics too. When the government lifted restriction on the commercial activity nearly a week before Eid-ul-Fitr – on May 18 to be precise – the total number of coronavirus cases in the country were 42,125, with 902 deaths. These were the figures reported in nearly three months between February 26 and May 18. However, in less than three weeks – from May 18 to June 4 – the number of infections and the deaths just about doubled to 85,264 and 1,770 respectively. All that, quite clearly, was because of the coronavirus closures being done away with.

But now the pandemic is pretty much under control in the country mainly because of the government’s smart lockdown strategy, with more than 88% patients having recovered and active cases counting a little over 32,000. These gains in the months-long fight against Covid-19 can in no way be trashed. The Punjab government’s prudent approach should, therefore, be appreciated. Traders should strengthen the provincial government’s hands and abide by the lockdown order which is in the interest of the whole nation, including the traders themselves.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 30^th, 2020.

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