I AM surprised on the government’s decision to lift all restrictions in one go after the decrease in Covid-19 cases, instead of being more cautious and doing it gradually.

We know that a low literacy rate had a big role to play in the spread of coronavirus, because people took it lightly and did not follow standard operating procedures. A few days ago, I was in Lahore. I saw a majority of people not following SOPs such as wearing masks or taking care of distance. In Karachi too very few people take preventive measures. I feel we are not out of the woods yet.

We should learn from other countries; otherwise there will be a second wave of the pandemic and deaths. I appeal to the prime minister and the Sindh chief minister to consider this matter and instruct officials concerned to enforce SOPs strictly. I think we should follow countries where compliance with such measures has improved because of penalties on those who were not following SOPs.

Dr Zulfikar Laghari
Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2020