PDM to blame if govt imposes complete virus lockdown: PM

Ag Agencies

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday warned that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would be responsible for the consequences if the government was compelled to impose a complete virus lockdown, as the country recorded 59 deaths — the highest single-day increase in coronavirus fatalities in more than four months.

The Prime Minister’s warning came as the National Command and Operation Centre’s (NCOC) daily update showed 59 people losing their lives to the virus in a 24-hour period. This was the greatest number of daily infections since July 15, when 67 people died. At least 2,139 patients are admitted across the country with coronavirus, 265 of whom are on ventilator.

“In Pakistan, the PDM by continuing with Jalsas is deliberately endangering lives and livelihoods because if cases continue to rise at the rate we are seeing, we will be compelled to go into complete lockdown and PDM will be responsible for consequences,” the Prime Minister said on Twitter, referring to the anti-government rally that was held in Peshawar despite government warnings.

Khan said Pakistan’s second Covid-19 spike data was of concern, showing 200 per cent increase of patients on ventilators in Peshawar and Multan during the last 15 days, while Karachi saw 148 per cent increase, Lahore 114 per cent, Islamabad 65 per cent.

The capacity of ventilators utilisation had touched 70 per cent in Multan and Islamabad, he added. The Prime Minister said across the world there was a second spike and complete lockdowns in most countries. “I do not want to take measures like a lockdown that will start hurting our economy which at the moment is showing signs of a robust recovery,” he said.

However, he said the opposition was callously destroying people’s lives and livelihoods in their desperation to get an NRO. “Let me make it clear: they can hold a million jalsas but will not get any NRO,” he categorically said.

He viewed that unfortunately, the opposition’s only goal was NRO “at whatever cost to the lives of people and the country’s economy”.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Minister for Health Taimur Salim Jhagra said coronavirus cases had increased manifold — especially in Peshawar — and in such an alarming situation holding a public meeting by PDM was an “illogical and irrational decision”.

On November 17, he said there were only 200 cases and on November 21, the cases surged to 370, “which is almost 100 per cent increase in less than a week”, he said in a statement on Sunday.

In Hayatabad Medical Complex, he said 90 beds were occupied by coronavirus patients and asked the hospital administration to increase the beds to 150 in December. He added that “almost all coronavirus beds” in Khyber Teaching Hospital were occupied and the administration of KTH were directed to increase beds from 90 to 200 to facilitate patients.

“The positivity rate has increased from 1 per cent to 12 per cent and deaths, cases are rising in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — especially in Peshawar,” he added. The minister said 60 per cent of cases were being reported in Peshawar and opposition parties “are bringing people from all cities of the province and this will give rise to cases in all cities of KP”.