Islamabad: The coronavirus has so far claimed 2,172 lives in Pakistan with 108,317 confirmed cases.
In a letter to Punjab province Health Minister Yasmin Rashid dated 7 June, WHO Country Head, Pakistan, Dr Palitha Mahipala said the coronavirus has spread to almost all districts in the country with big cities making up majority of the cases.
Punjab is the worst-hit province in Pakistan with over 40,000 cases. Mahipala has recommended an intermittent lockdown approach.
“Government intervention on 12 April detailing social distancing measures, including movement restrictions, closure of schools and businesses, international travel restrictions, and geographical area restrictions were instituted with the aim of limiting the spread of the disease,” the letter stated.
The WHO country head pointed out that after the partial relaxation on 1 May, and complete relaxation on May 22 the infection rate had increased on both occasions.
Pakistan had lifted the virus restrictions in view of an under-control rate of transmission and the health system’s ability to detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact.
However, the letter said the detection rate remains high, the surveillance system is weak, capacity to treat critical patients is limited and the population is not ready to adapt.
It said that Pakistan’s reproductive number (R) — number of individuals infected by each carrier — is also greater than 1.
The WHO urged the government to increase its testing capacity beyond 50,000 tests per day and strengthen public health measures.
It recommended the government to enforce a “two weeks on, two weeks off strategy” as it offers the smallest infection curve.