ISLAMABAD- Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday said with no vaccination developed for the Covid-19 pandemic so far, the people will have to learn to live with the contagion for about a year and protect themselves by following the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), including social distancing, advised by health experts from across the world.
“We have put in our minds that we have to live with the coronavirus at least by the end of this year. And it is our responsibility to take precautionary measures and protect ourselves [from this disease],” he said in a televised media briefing about the latest situation of Covid-19 in the country.
Minister for Planning Asad Umar, Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood, PM’s Focal Person on Covid-19 Dr Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant to PM on Social Safety and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar and Special Assistant to PM on National Security Moeed Yusuf were also present.
The prime minister said if he had any surety of disease ending in two or three months, he would have gone for a complete lockdown for three months and had made arrangements to reach out to the poor and deserving with food items at their doorsteps. “The experts and scientists from across the world have not found any treatment of the coronavirus, and the vaccine will also not be available this year,” he noted, adding that as the virus spreads fast through gatherings and crowds, the people are required to strictly follow SOPs and guidelines to protect themselves from the deadly contagion.
Imran Khan said the countries and regions, which opted for lockdown after the outbreak of coronavirus, including Wuhan (China), South Korea, Singapore and Japan, are witnessing another spike in the virus after reopening their cities. “Now we in Pakistan like other countries in the world also have to live with this virus,” he remarked.(Daily Times)