Pressure mounts on government to relax lockdown despite rising COVID-19 cases

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The pressure has been mounting on the Government of Sindh for a review in the lockdown decision despite the continued rise in the number of cases being infected by coronavirus (COVID-19).

The medical experts are advising the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, for extension in the lockdown period but he was also looking up to the April 8 meeting of the National Coordination Committee, which had imposed restrictions as precautionary measures up to April 14. 

He has indicated that Sindh may take its own decision too after reviewing the disease situation and other relevant developments. 

During a meeting with the heads of private hospitals, he stated that their expertise and support was needed while the government was fighting against the corona epidemic in the province. He also urged them to ensure extra beds at their respective facility for coronavirus infected patients as government’s resources were limited. 

In his interaction with media during the day, he maintained that the government was making all efforts to increase the capacity for testing the corona suspected cases across the province. 

Meanwhile there have concerns in recent days that the long prevailing lockdown in Sindh, particularly in Karachi, has taken a toll on small traders and livelihood of daily wagers. 

The small and medium enterprises as well as the industries have requested the government to ease the lockdown situation in Karachi and the Chief Minister too has hinted that some standard operating procedures (SOPs) for industries and businesses were being devised for the post lockdown era. 

Various associations of trade and industry, among others, wanted the government to allow partial operations of all the industrial units in the city, while different market association, including those of mobile marketers, restaurants and bakers, also demanded opening of markets while promising to observe precautionary measures while dealing the customers. 

At a press conference on April 7, Sharjeel Goplani, speaking on behalf of timber traders, said that the coronavirus outbreak has caused enormous financial losses to the traders. 

“The Sindh government should provide loans on easy terms to timber traders and allow them to reopen their business as they are ready to comply with the governments’ health safety measures and corona related actions” the timber dealers stressed.