Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged the public again to follow the coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government, saying everyone should wear a face mask.

"It's important to understand the consequences of not following the SOPs. If, for example, people in a factory do not follow the SOPs, we will shut that down. And then the poor will lose their income," he said at a briefing on the Covid-19 situation.

The premier noted that in India, "it has become a challenge for the government to balance feeding the poor and stemming the spread of the virus. We wanted to avoid an India-like scenario but now we must follow the SOPs."