Smart lockdowns proved successful, must remain vigilant on Eid-ul-Azha: Dr Ata-ur-Rehman

Dunya News

Smart lockdowns proved successful, must remain vigilant on Eid-ul-Azha: Dr Ata-ur-Rehman

LAHORE (Dunya News) - Head of the government’s coronavirus task force Dr. Ata-ur-Rehman has said that the strategy of smart lockdowns has proven to be successful, yet he is still wary about people not remaining careful during Eid-ul-Azha.

Speaking to Dunya News program "Nuqta-e-Nazar", Dr. Ata-ur-Rehman said that the only way to completely defeat the coronavirus is through a vaccine, but unfortunately the world is still in the trial phase.

He said the vaccine trials would be conducted in the next four to six months in Pakistan. He expressed hope that by next week, they will have DRAP’s permission to start conducting trials.

Dr Ata-ur-Rehman said that cases in Pakistan peaked on June 13, and now the number of both deaths and cases has come down. He urged the public to continue taking precautionary measures as the virus still poses a significant threat and cases could swell any time. He advised people to not allow the elderly to mix with children as they are more prone to the virus.

Asked about the closure of educational institutions across Pakistan due to the coronavirus, he said that schools are scheduled to reopen from September 15 but consultations would be held in the first week of September to review the decision if necessary.