REPORTS of the spread of the coronavirus in a katchi abadi in Karachi have raised the alarm for provincial authorities — and for good reason. In a video message, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said his fear about the spread of Covid-19 in shanty towns has become a reality, as a family of seven living in a slum area had been infected. Flouting social distancing guidelines, the head of the family had gone out of his home and caught the infection, which he transmitted to his family members, including his one-year-old son and six-year-old daughter. In the same message, Mr Shah said the lockdown, which is in effect in the province till April 14, would be lifted in phases and that new SOPs to limit the coronavirus’s spread would be announced for each sector. As he made this announcement, Pakistan’s total confirmed Covid-19 cases had crossed 4,600 with almost 70 deaths. According to projections, the figure for confirmed cases will likely be in the tens of thousands by the end of the month.

The development is a major cause for concern, and the government’s fears are not without reason. The mere idea of a fast-spreading virus penetrating densely populated slum dwellings is a nightmare for authorities already faced with the mammoth challenge of containing this virus. Transmission in these localities would occur rapidly, bringing death and more misery for a segment of the population already lacking basic social amenities. Furthermore, the extent of slum dwellers’ ‘underlying medical conditions’ — a characteristic which the virus preys upon, often with fatal results — would be unknown to the authorities, compounding the healthcare challenge. Given these realities, and the limited capacity for testing and health services, all provincial governments must extend the lockdown for at least two weeks to assess the situation. From China to Italy, every medical expert has attested that a lockdown is the only way to curb the spread of this contagion. No doubt, such measures come with economic challenges, but by now, the authorities are well aware of those obstacles and should be in a better position to take the appropriate measures to provide some sort of relief while the majority is asked to remain home.

This approach towards a lockdown must be adopted by each province and reflected unanimously in the messaging of both the central and provincial governments. Unfortunately, the pandemic period in Pakistan is witnessing the discord and bickering that is so characteristic of our politics. The government must understand that now more than ever is the time to hold back grudges and develop a working relationship with the provinces. Disharmony, a lack of engagement and walkouts during meetings will only hurt the morale of healthcare workers and citizens who are grappling to adjust to a new world. Public officials ought to rise above petty politics and confront this unprecedented health and economic crises with solidarity in their ranks.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2020