Pakistan has done reasonably well to contain COVID-19 spread: Asad Majeed

Asad Majeed said Pakistan's extensive measures have helped to contain the spread of coronavirus.

NEW YORK (Web Desk) - Pakistan s "extensive measures" have helped to contain the spread of coronavirus, but the crisis stemming from the pandemic could not have come at a worse time, Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan has said.

"Because of the economic reforms, exports had started to pick up, the exchange rate had stabilized, industrial activity was increasing. All those things now had to stop, so the purchase orders, export orders, the supply chain have been disturbed," the Pakistani envoy to the United States told The Wall Street Journal.

"For a country like Pakistan you can imagine how bad it would be," he said in the interview published Sunday.

"We have done reasonably well to contain the spread of the virus, but the economic implications are still growing. That s why our Prime Minister Imran Khan has been advocating more international financial support for the developing nations," Ambassador Khan said.

Asked whether the international community doing enough to fight this crisis, he said the response was coming in piecemeal but termed it quite quick and extensive.

"Our prime minister has appealed for a more comprehensive, coherent approach involving all concerned stakeholders. That comprehensiveness would help deal with both health- and economic-related implications," the Pakistani envoy said.

"There is a lot happening but it needs to be more coordinated and geared more to the countries  needs." Questioned whether coronavirus cases were overwhelming Pakistan s healthcare system, he said, "We resorted to very extensive measures, such as restricting incoming flights and domestic flights, closing schools, putting offices on rotation, closing all non-essential services.

All of that clearly helped in containing this contagion." "Also," he added, "we converted railway bogies into quarantine wards, as well as hotels and stadiums, to use them when required. Luckily we haven t had to use it so far, but the system is geared to deal with the situation.

"But we have a high population and the capacity of our healthcare system is not as good as we would want it to be. If this gets out of hand, we don t have the capacity to deal with it." Asked whether Pakistani people were observing social-distancing requirements and other measures, Ambassador Khan said they were now getting used to it.

"Initially," he added, "People were maybe not aware of the severity and contagiousness, but as things have become clearer the whole country has come together the provinces, Federal government, military, political parties.

"There was initially reluctance to observe voluntary social distancing measures but people are getting used to these new realities." Asked whether any good will come out of this crisis, the Pakistani envoy said, "Countries are learning and getting smarter in dealing with this and other potential epidemics. Experts all over the world are on a daily basis exchanging best practices, experiences, insights.

"COVID-19 s abiding legacy will be the potential we have discovered of teleworking, tele-learning, tele-interaction, and we have figured out ways to reach out to people all over the world.

"In some ways it is also bringing the international community together."