Targeted Lockdown Likely In Urban Centers: Asad Umar

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Aug, 2021 ) :Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Monday indicated that to control spread of Indian variant of COVID-19, the government might impose lockdown in selected sectors of the country's urban centers.

The decision in this regard, he said would be made in a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday (August 02).

"We will present recommendation to the Prime Minister in the meeting where it would be decided that which sectors are being closed down and to what extent," Asad Umar said while addressing a press conference here after chairing the meeting of National Command and Operation Center (NCOC).

Asad Umar was flanked by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan.

The minister said the Indian variant was spreading 60% to 70% faster than the British variant which itself was spreading 70% faster than the normal virus.

"It is highly transmissible and can be transmitted from the patient to all family members in no time." He said the situation in India, Bangladesh, Iran, Afghanistan, Indonesia and other regional countries was not good so far as spread of the disease is concerned.

For last few days, over 200 people were succumbing to the delta variant of COVID-19 daily while in Indonesia; the daily death rate remained 1600 to 1700 daily East Asia situation is also not good.

Therefore in order to control this variant, the minister asked the people to follow the guidelines.

"The biggest weapon against the pandemic is at the hand of common people who could help stopping the pandemic by following guidelines issued by the government," he added.

Asad Umar said vaccination was the only way to get rid of this disease and the Federal government was spending Rs 200 billion on vaccination.

He said Pakistan had set new daily records of vaccinations throughout the six days of this week.

The minister pointed out that the purpose of the presser was to brief that the success against COVID-19 was the centralised effort through the forum of NCOC.

NCOC is an apolitical forum and has equal regard for all federating units, he said adding NCOC will continue to follow the same strategy and pattern to cope with the contagion.

Asad Umar informed that some five million doses were administered in past six days with over 9 lac doses administered in past 24 hours.

It took 113 days to achieve first 10 million doses target of vaccinated population.