PM Urges Nation To Fully Implement SOPs In Face Of Growing Delta Spread

ISLAMABAD, Aug 1 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Aug, 2021 ) :Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday urged the nation to fully adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ward off the looming threat of most contagious Delta variant coronavirus.

The prime minister was responding to public queries in the most popular live tv programme, "Aapka Wazir-e- Azam Aap kai sath." The prime minister said that after witnessing the situation across the globe, it was observed that Delta variant was proving more lethal due to its fast spread.

"Allah Almighty has blessed us in the past as we took the most difficult but timely decisions, which helped us to save lives and economy from impacts of coronavirus," he added.

The prime minister said that the World Economic Forum had ranked Pakistan as the third country in the world which had taken timely steps to save lives of its people and its economy.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has been regularly interacting with the public through this programme in which callers posed different queries regarding important national and global issues, raise their issues and give suggestions.

The prime minister underlined that vaccination was the only solution to cope with the emerging situation of Delta variant spread.

He said through prudent decisions, the government had saved 220 million people from the debilitating effects of previous coronavirus waves with scientific decisions and valuable guidance and input provided by the NCOC.

The prime minister also thanked nation for extending cooperation during the pandemic. Mosques in the country kept opened during Ramazan ul Mubarak and the Ulema cooperated in implementation of SOPs.

The prime minister said wearing of masks could reduce coronavirus spread by 60 to 70 per cent.

"Where there is assembly of people, please do wear mask," he added.

About the Sindh government decision of complete lockdown, the prime minister expressed the hope that the provincial government would fully consider its implications over the weaker segments of society especially the daily earners.

He said enforcing lockdown was a good decision as it would reduce its spread but the issue which should be considered whether such a decision could save the country, its people and economy.

He observed that imposing complete lockdown would increase hunger. "Never go for lockdown unless you have answers for these issues," he maintained.

The prime minister referred to situation in India where the abrupt lockdown caused destruction. The government there only thought of the upper and elite classes.

He suggested that smart lockdowns could be imposed on areas identified as hotspots. Schools should not be reopened unless all the teachers were vaccinated.

The prime minister said that they had so far vaccinated 30 million people throughout the country.