ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said the intensity of the coronavirus in Pakistan was not as severe as it was in other parts of the world.

He stated this while presiding over a meeting on impact of Covid-19 on the country’s social fabric and economy.

According to an official statement, the meeting was informed that the number of patients and deaths due to coronavirus is less than that in other countries of the world.

A source privy to the meeting told Dawn that the prime minister was quite satisfied that the intensity of Covid-19 was still low in Pakistan as compared to other countries, especially the United States and Europe. Mr Khan, however, urged people to maintain social distancing as it was the best way to control the spread of the deadly virus in the country.

The prime minister said the government was monitoring the situation closely and would soon announce its next strategy regarding the lockdown keeping in view the need of the people of all segments of society and the holy month of Ramazan.

He said the government was devising a strategy to provide relief to the poor and common man by keeping a balance in enforcement of preventive measures and revival of low-risk economic activities.

The meeting was also attended by federal ministers Hammad Azhar, Khusro Bakhtiar, Syed Fakhar Imam and Umar Ayub Khan, special assistants to the prime minister on health Dr Zafar Mirza and on national security Moeed Yousuf and National Disaster Management Authority (MDMA) chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal.

Dr Zafar briefed the meeting on the number of coronavirus cases, deaths and recovered patients in the country. He said the rate of virus-infected patients and deaths was far lower than that in other parts of the world.

Meanwhile, PM’s side Shahzab Gill said in a tweet that more than 1.8 million Covid-19 testing kits were available in the country.

Minister for Industries Hammad Azhar informed the prime minister about reopening of the construction industry in the first phase and steel and other industries in the second one. He said more than six million people would get benefit under a relief package of about Rs75 billion announced by the prime minister for labourers and daily wage earners. The government would pay three months’ electricity bills of small businesses, he added.

The NDMA chairman briefed the meeting on the availability of testing kits and other medical equipment, including ventilators and N-95 masks.

CJCSC visits NCOC

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza visited the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Monday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the CJCSC was received by Lt Gen Hamood Uz Zaman Khan, Commander of the Army Air Defence Command and National Coordinator for the NCOC.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan also accompanied the CJCSC during the visit.

Gen Raza was briefed on containment efforts and enforcement measures against Covid-19, projections about likely spread of the disease in the country and support being extended to the civil administration against the pandemic.

The CJCSC lauded NCOC’s efforts for synergising the national effort and data driven input to all stakeholders for timely and informed decision making in a short span of time.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2020