COVID-19: Should Pakistan's federal government initiate a countrywide lockdown?

[Abdullah719]

Sindh have implemented a lockdown for 2 weeks starting tomorrow. All the provincial govts. have asked for army deployment, but IK has stated that they won't do a countrywide lockdown.

With 650 cases and 3 deaths so far, is it time to initiate a lockdown or is the federal govt. doing the right thing?

 

[Rana]

Yes, but who will pay for the poor people who can not afford 2 meals a day as mentioned by Imran Khan?

 

[IndianHero]

Yes only if IK can do below thing :

Give at least Rs 1000 to daily wage labour along with normal ration like wheat, rice etc,.

In India there is lockdown of 75 districts & each state govt., have announced money of Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 along with ration like wheat, rice etc,. for daily wage labour

Mark my words, unless you lockdown we desi ppl will NOT listen ! You can't flatten the curve without lockdown.

 

[MenInG]

CM Sindh's video announcing the 15-day lockdown in Sindh - took into confidence the PTI, JI, MQM, GDA for the decision - hopes lockdown will reduce spread of coronavirus which will allow govt to build up resources - people will need good reason to leave homes

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 78.947%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/s/u55hw/zwvnrp" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

During the lockdown for 15 days, Sindh Govt will ensure supply of essential items - people will be able to go get groceries ONCE in 2 DAYS - the Govt will use tech to check that through the CNIC number

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 78.947%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/s/k8q1d/hsvpzc" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

 

[Lonewarrior]

Yes.

 

[AdamM97]

Yes. The government will have to initiate a lockdown at some point. Better now than too late imo.

The economy will suffer, but Pakistan will recover from that. You can’t however bring the people who died back.

 

[Sirris]

The ressources wasted on a countrywide lockdown can be better used by implementing strategic lockdowns. The spread of the virus in Pakistan will follow a certain pattern and group of people. The public awareness on how to protect themselves from the virus and how it spreads need to be improved too.

They need to lockdown district by district.

 

[Local.Dada]

Yes, but who will pay for the poor people who can not afford 2 meals a day as mentioned by Imran Khan?

And who will give them money for treatment if they fall sick given the treatment is supposed to be very expensive and there is a lack of equipment?

 

[MenInG]

 

[Hermoine Green]

Whole country is going through lock down. All markets malls transports e.t.c have been shut down.

Only medical stores, bakeries are left opened.

But if you want total curfew, that i think not going to happen.

 

[IndianHero]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The man in circle is recently returned from Iran & tested <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoronaVirus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoronaVirus</a> positive. He is under treatment at quarantine facility Sukkur. Today his friends visited him, met & took selfies also. You can imagine the seriousness of public<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Social_Distancing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Social_Distancing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVIDIOT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVIDIOT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LockDownPakisan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LockDownPakisan</a> <a href="https://t.co/Bpji7sHH9r">pic.twitter.com/Bpji7sHH9r</a></p>— Developing Pakistan (@DevelopmentPk) <a href="https://twitter.com/DevelopmentPk/status/1241744260581470208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-C0_wiJM7l/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); widthlc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-C0_wiJM7l/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decorationne; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-stylermal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-C0_wiJM7l/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-stylermal; font-weightrmal; line-height:17px; text-decorationne; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Police make an announcement for protection from the coronavirus in Karachi's Hazara Colony area. Video courtesy: Karachi police</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-spacewrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dawn.today/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-stylermal; font-weightrmal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Dawn Today</a> (@dawn.today) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-03-22T17:24:42+00:00">Mar 22, 2020 at 10:24am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

 

[sweep_shot]

Partial lock down makes sense.

Full lock down may not be a bad idea too.

 

[MenInG]

Good decision but economic measures needed alongside it, which I am glad to say have been done.

 

[Saj]

A full lockdown - is it possible, will it work?

 

[UP]

A full lockdown - is it possible, will it work?

You can lockdown the main streets but I’m not sure if the lockdown is possible in small gully mohalles.

 

[MenInG]

A full lockdown will be disastrous for the low earners - the inability to find a job and feed families will bad for them too. Lets hope the economic measures are good enough.

 

[amvbfm]

A full lockdown will be disastrous for the low earners - the inability to find a job and feed families will bad for them too. Lets hope the economic measures are good enough.

That's a valid concern but its high time that the state flexes its muscle in some form as the people really aren't taking this seriously. The pictures and videos coming in from around the country where people are going about their business as normal or even mocking the virus are alarming. Add to it the total failure of all governments, both federal and provincial to convince religious groups and leaders to stop their activities and you have a very dangerous situation. Things could take a serious turn in the next week or two.

The PM also needs to review and modify his communication strategy. Don't lockdown but also don't trivialize the issue by saying that we are a young population or that 97% people survive. It is sending the wrong message as people are taking this too lightly and aren't realizing that there is a lot more at stake than just their own health or life. It isn't inducing the sense of urgency that is required at the moment and if the death rate suddenly spikes in the next week or two people will start panicking and blaming the government.

 

[srh]

Lock down is necessary; Imran Khan was wrong to be against it; his argument that poor will suffer was flawed because there is no work for poor anyway nowadays; Sindh government was right in initiating the lock down even when Imran Khan was against it; Punjab and Khyber governments are now trying to follow Sindh government in this regard although they are both from Imran Khan's party; this shows Imran Khan has realized his mistake; there are some news / speculations that Army was in favour of lock down and hence things were changed; God knows what is truth.

During the lock down taking care of poors is government's responsibility; Imran Khan has started good initiative of giving them money; he should make sure it is reaching only to needy ones and not falling in corrupt hands; amount is low so Imran Khan can appeal to private sector rich people to come forward and help poor during lock down period

 

[moghul]

Partial lock down makes sense.

Full lock down may not be a bad idea too.

Agree.