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Two weeks on, two weeks off: intermittent lockdowns could help Pakistan rein in Covid-19

A health official wearing protective gear holds the sample of a man at a drive-through screening and testing facility for the COVID-19 coronavirus, alongside a street in Islamabad on June 10, 2020 - AFP
A health official wearing protective gear holds the sample of a man at a drive-through screening and testing facility for the COVID-19 coronavirus, alongside a street in Islamabad on June 10, 2020 - AFP
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Pakistan should impose intermittent lockdowns in a two-weeks-on and two-weeks-off cycle to try to rein in an accelerating Covid-19 outbreak, the World Health Organization has said.

The South Asian nation of 220 million had seen cases spike since easing restrictions last month, while hospitals have warned they are starting to fill up.

The country's government has argued against lockdown, saying the economic toll on the nation's poorest would be too severe.

A three-page leaked letter from the United Nation's health body to provincial health ministers suggested an intermittent lockdown as a balance between tackling the virus and keeping the economy going.

Such a lockdown would not be unique, sources told the Telegraph, with Jordan already pursuing a similar strategy. Turkey has also held a number of intermittent weekend lockdowns.

The June 6 letter from Palitha Mahipala, the WHO's Pakistan director, said cases were rising sharply, while the country had few intensive care beds and its disease tracking system was weak. The population had showed itself “not ready to adapt to change in behaviour”, and was refusing to wear masks or engage in social distancing.

An intermittent lockdown, as well as strengthening quarantine, testing and contact tracing was now a priority.

“WHO strongly recommends that the government adapts the two-weeks-on and two-weeks-off strategy as it offers the smallest curve,” Mr Mahipala wrote.

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South Asia had for several months appeared to have a slow-burning outbreak which defied the sharp acceleration seen in Europe and America.

Cases have begun to take off in recent weeks however and hospitals in parts of India are already overwhelmed. Global health officials now worry that a region home to a fifth of humanity may eventually become the epicentre for the pandemic.

Pakistan recorded its highest number of cases yet for a single day on Wednesday and in the past week has recorded several record daily death tolls. The official countrywide death toll so far is 2,255 among more than 113,000 confirmed cases.

Both Pakistan and India have rolled back their lockdowns despite failing to curb their infections.

The WHO letter said Pakistan had eased its precautions on businesses, travel and gatherings too soon. The restrictions had been unevenly enforced from early on, with religious leaders successfully demanding mosques open for communal prayers.

Mr Khan then began to make special allowances for essential industries to operate. By the end of Ramadan, markets and parks were packed and people appeared to have returned to normal life.

Mr Mahipala said countries should meet five conditions before easing their lockdowns, to ensure they were on top of their outbreaks.

"As of today, Pakistan does not meet any of the pre-requisite conditions for opening the lockdown", the letter said.

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