Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday appealed to the general public to stick to the COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs), especially on the occasion of Eid ul Adha, to contain further spread of the novel coronavirus.
Addressing the state, the premier said that given the rising number of coronavirus cases within the country, it’s necessary for everybody to wear a mask.
“Even though I do know that folks are uninterested in following the SOPs across the planet and that I understand that, I might again wish to appeal to the masses to [at least] wear a mask in the least times in order that the country might be saved from the possible fourth wave of the pandemic,” he said.
“It’s a really easy job to wear a mask, and this easy step can save the country and our economy from disaster.”
The prime minister explained that masks should be worn at the least times whenever someone is in a confined space with people — including wedding functions, restaurants, and rooms — because the probabilities of the virus spreading within indoor environments are extremely high.
“If someone is a call at the open, as an example during a park, they will take their masks off, but once they are inside a bus or a car with people, as an example, they need to wear a mask,” the premier explained while holding a mask in his hands.
PM Imran Khan warned the state about the risks of the Delta variant — which first emerged in India — and said that India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Indonesia are currently suffering due to it.
“Given the present situation in countries like Afghanistan, where there’s an acute shortage of oxygen, i might wish to say a couple of things to the state,” the PM said.
He praised the govt, particularly the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) for completing research and taking timely decisions to contain the virus from spreading.
The PM further said that Pakistan was the sole Muslim country that kept mosques open for 2 consecutive Ramazans — because of the efforts, monitoring, and preemptive measures of the NCOC also because of the cooperative attitude of the state .
“It was also due to the cooperation of the Pakistani nation that the govt could save the country from stepping into a catastrophic situation [like other countries],” the premier said.
At present, however, the coronavirus cases within the country are suddenly rising again after plummeting due to the arrival of the Delta variant within the country, he said.
PM Khan said that across the planet, poverty has spread and therefore the poor had to suffer due to lockdowns.
“I would, therefore, ask Pakistanis to mandatorily wear masks and observe precautions, especially during the occasion of Eid ul Adha,” he said.
“The government exerted tons of pressure on people to stick to the SOPs and that I appreciate the state for bearing with us, but if you would like to avoid further lockdowns and restrictions, then still wear a mask,” he said.
Towards the top of his speech, the premier also urged people to urge vaccinated. He added that albeit Pakistan doesn’t manufacture the anti-coronavirus vaccine on its own and therefore the vaccination drive isn’t as quick because it is within the US, for instance, people should cash in of the available vaccines within the country and obtain themselves inoculated as soon as possible.
