Covid handling

Pakistan’s Covid response has earned international recognition. Normalcy index of The Economist has ranked Pakistan among the best performing countries for handling the coronavirus pandemic. This index of the acclaimed magazine tracks the progress of 50 countries, which account for 90 per cent of the global GDP, in terms of their return to pre-pandemic life on the basis of eight indicators classified into three categories: retailing and work; transport and travel; and, recreation and entertainment.

Pakistan, with a score of 84.4 out of 100, has risen to the third slot on the normalcy index which is updated weekly. Pakistan falls just below toppers Hong Kong (96.3 points) and New Zealand (87.8 points), the two far more advanced and affluent territories with far lesser populations and thus far better placed to deal with the pandemic. Even China ranks 19^th on the index with a score of 72.9; and India where the Delta variant of the virus continues to wreak havoc is ranked 48 with a score of just 46.5.

Pakistan’s ranking speaks of the efficacy of the steps taken by the NCOC — the Covid-19 nerve centre with representation from the Centre and all provinces and regions in the country as well as all major stakeholders — aimed at containing the spread of the novel coronavirus alongside allowing social, commercial, educational and entertainment activities wherever and whenever possible so as to take the country towards normalcy slowly and gradually. The national response was meant to strike a balance between saving lives and livelihoods of a population much of whom survives on less than two dollars a day. It was indeed a tightrope walk, and continues to be so.

Pakistan’s has been a comprehensive and coordinated response that involves catering to the poorest of the poor through cash handouts under Ehsaas programme and offering stimulus packages to businessmen through the central bank to keep the wheel of the economy moving, apart from keeping a vigilant eye on the movement of the virus and taking swift containment measures. The Prime Minister has thus rightly sent “Congratulations to NCOC members, Ehsaas team & State Bank of Pakistan for effective response to Covid-19 pandemic; and above all thanks to the mercy of Almighty Allah.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2021.

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