Covid-19: Pakistan extends lockdown until April 14

Islamabad: Pakistan has extended lockdown and suspension of all business activities for another nine days as the battle against coronavirus intensifies with authorities scrambling to check its spread across the country.

On Thursday, the number of confirmed cases in Pakistan had jumped to 2,360 while the recovered cases were 107. Also, 32 deaths were reported since the first case emerged in January.

Earlier, the government had fixed April 5 for the possible lifting of lockdown and resumption of normal business, but the Minister for Planning and Development, Asad Umar, announced on Wednesday the “restrictions” imposed as precautionary measures amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country will continue for two more weeks — April 1 to 14. The decision to extend the period of the restrictions was taken in a meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC), Asad Umar said at a press conference.

“The next review will be held on April 14. Meanwhile, the NCC will meet regularly for day to day assessment of the virus situation,” he said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday expressed optimism that the country would defeat coronavirus with joint efforts by all stakeholders.

Addressing the launching ceremony of the upgraded 500-bed Cantonment General Hospital in Rawalpindi, the prime minister said the next seven days were important to assess life span and prevalence of the virus in Pakistan.

“We are collecting data also in this regard,” he said adding mortality rate due to coronavirus in the country was far less than in other parts of the world, but still the government was working hard to save people’s lives.”

Imran Khan said the government was continuously monitoring and analysing coronavirus trends to determine accurate rate of spike in coming days.

“We started taking preventive measures ever since first coronavirus case had surfaced in China in January this year, besides working on a mechanism to deal with the looming challenge,” the prime minister said.

Release of prisoners unlawful

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ruled high courts’ decision to release under-trial prisoners out of coronavirus fear was not in accordance with law.

The apex court though ordered full screening of new prisoners before sending them to jails, yet, at the same time, it restrained high courts as well as the provincial governments, including the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and Gilgit-Baltistan, from releasing prisoners from jails over the virus fears.

The five-member bench of Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan had earlier suspended the order passed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granting bail to 408 prisoners imprisoned in the Adiala Jail under minor offences in view of coronavirus outbreak.

On Wednesday, the court directed the IGs of all prisons in the country to ensure that no new prisoner is allowed to enter the jail, unless he/she is fully screened and they shall ensure that new entrant does not has any sign of coronavirus infection.