Prime Minister Imran Khan Media Talk And Updates On COVID-19 | PTI Official | 15 May 20
Channel: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
Date: 2020-05-15

Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan Media Talk and updates on COVID-19 in Islamabad (15.05.20)
#PrimeMinisterImranKhan #Pakistan 🇵🇰 #COVID19 #coronavirus

Prime Minister Imran Khan says we will have to learn to live with corona virus for some time as its cure is not forthcoming soon.

Expressing views on corona situation in Islamabad today, he said medical staff around the world is fighting against the disease like their peers in Pakistan.

He said scientists and researchers worldwide are of the view that vaccine for corona virus may take more time to develop.

Imran Khan said government has to watch corona disease, as well as its impacts on wider society.

He said Pakistan despite its limited resources gave a stimulus package of 8 billion dollars to its people, whereas the US allocated 2,200 billion dollars and Japan 1,000 billion dollars for this purpose.

Imran Khan said situation of lockdown in Pakistan is different than advanced countries. Here, we have to save our people against starvation as well.

He said according to a survey 25 million people were daily wage earners in 2017 and 2018 in Pakistan. He said today 150 million people have been directly or indirectly affected by lockdown.

He said cash transfers to people who have become unemployed due to corona virus will be made from Monday next from Prime Minister's Fund.

The Prime Minister said we know that cases of corona will increase in Pakistan in the coming days, but we also have to protect our people from hunger.

He said the number of deaths due to corona virus in Pakistan is less than the projections.

However, we have to take maximum precautionary measures to not burden out limited medical resources. He said we are opening the businesses to restart economic activity but people must follow the SOPs given by the government, including social distancing and hand washing.

Imran Khan said Corona Relief Tiger Force will help provide rations to people as well as sensitize them.

The Prime Minister said closure of public transport is hurting the poor people. He asked the provinces to open public transport for facilitation of people.

Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar said in first phase of lockdown pharmaceutical and essential items shops were allowed to work for the facilitation of people.

He said in the second phase construction industry was opened so that people can work and earn their wages.

Hammad Azhar said in third phase vehicle and motorcycle manufacturing companies have been allowed to reopen from Monday next with strict SOPs.

He said decision to open large shopping malls has been left to provinces.

Speaking on the occasion, Special Assistant on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza said one hundred thousand health workers, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics will be trained for correct use of Personal Protection Equipment. He said the first phase of this training will be completed in four weeks.

He said another five thousand intensive care unit workers will be trained to handle corona patients.

He said it is great achievement for the country that a Pakistani pharmaceutical company has concluded its voluntary licensing agreement with a US pharmaceutical company Gilead for the manufacture and sale of Remdesivir.

He said this agreement also allows Pakistan to export the medicine to 127 countries facing corona pandemic.

Special assistant on Poverty Alleviation Dr. Sania Nishtar said category four of Ehsaas Emergency Cash program will start from Monday.

She said category four is for the people who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19. She said under this category around 34,000 applications have been received so far. She said deserving people can register themselves for this category on pmo.gov.pk

She said the final decision for the applicants who have registered themselves through message service on 8171 for Ehsaas Emergency Cash will be made on Monday. The successful applicants will get their verifications via short message service on Monday.

Special Assistant on National Security Division Moeed Yousif said more than 23,000 stranded Pakistanis in different countries has been brought back so far. He said keeping in view the best international practices, 48 hour quarantine condition has been removed and now our capacity to bring back Pakistani expatriates has increased.

He said as per directions of the Prime Minister 11 to 12 thousand people will be brought back every week. He said our top priority is to help stranded poor workers and laborers in gulf states.