ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the public to strictly follow SOPs to lower the rate of transmission of the COVID-19 as the country sees the third wave of the pandemic. He said that the third wave of the pandemic was far more dangerous than the first two.
“Hospitals are filling. People are being put on ventilators or oxygen. We are the nation that was exemplified during the first wave (for our discipline). God forbids, our hospitals will fill to their capacity if it continues to spread with the current rate,” the prime minister said in his televised message to the nation.
The prime minister and his wife have been in quarantine after the couple contracted the virus a week ago. He advised the people that he remained safe during the first two waves as he had duly observed the precautions.
The premier said that during the previous two waves of the virus he neither attended any wedding ceremonies nor visited any restaurant and also kept wearing the mask. However, during the Senate polls, he could not adhere to the SOPs which led to his infection, he added.
The prime minister told the people that the world was witness to the fact that wearing mask greatly reduced the chances of COVID infection.
He said owing to a shortage of resources to feed the people during a lockdown, the government could not close down the business and industries, which was not even affordable for many resourceful countries too. “But at least, we can observe SOPs,” the prime minister said.
The third wave is the result of the UK strain of the COVID-19 virus that has a higher transmission rate, the premier carriers of this strain of the novel virus came to Lahore, Peshawar and Islamabad where the virus was spreading fast.
He also informed the nation that the vaccines stock was running low due to the third wave and countries and manufacturers that had previously promised supply are redirecting stocks to meet domestic demand, leaving Pakistan without a large enough vaccine stock. Therefore, it was better to follow the SOPs and avoid visiting the super spreader venues like wedding ceremonies, restaurants or any closed-door gatherings.
“We cannot close business and factories but what we can do is to avoid visiting close public places,” he added.
