ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan says he is personally monitoring the coronavirus situation on a daily basis.
Speaking to a number of senior journalists in Islamabad on Friday, he said he will himself update the public about the situation twice a week, adding nothing would be censored from the public about the pandemic.
The premier said Pakistan’s hot and dry weather will subside the coronavirus threat.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director-general, the PM’s adviser on health Zafar Mirza, adviser on finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and others were present at the media talk.
PM Khan said experiences of various countries, especially China, will be utilised to fight the coronavirus.
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The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is taking measures on a war footing to stop the infection spreading, he said, adding medical equipment, including safety kits for medics, are being imported from abroad.
Prime Minister Khan said panic is more dangerous than the virus itself, urging media to highlight the facts instead of creating sensationalism. He said the media has an important role to play in this situation.
He also urged people to exercise social distancing and self-discipline to local transmission of the virus.
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Prime Minister Khan said the government was in touch with the Chinese government when the cases of COVID-19 first surfaced there. When the cases were detected in Iran, the government also engaged with Tehran to keep close tabs on the situation, he added.
He explained Dr Zafar Mirza also visited Taftan to get first-hand information about the situation.
Afterwards, he said, the government put in place a number of measures to avoid transmission of the virus in the country.
PM Imran Khan urged the international community to ease sanctions on Iran that is struggling to combat the virus with limited resources and medical facilities.
A financial package is on the anvil and will be announced on Tuesday next, the premier announced.
