After almost two months of 'smart lockdown', authorities in Pakistan have ordered to lift restrictions to restart the economic engine of the country.

PM Imran Khan (file photo)

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Public response to the news has been overwhelmingly welcoming ,as a recent survey finds that most of the Pakistanis think that they've had enough of social isolation and want to get out. But doctors have advised the public to be even more vigilant now regarding their preventive measures as the risk of contracting virus is now greater than ever.

PM Khan chairing a high-level meeting

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Government of Pakistan has softened restrictions at a time when total number of infections in the country are increasing rapidly and it is believed that COVID curve is still peaking.

PM Imran Khan had been hinting regarding lifting the restrictions for some time now. He believed that people belonging to low socioeconomic profile were affected adversely by lockdown situation as every industry got shutdown. To be fair, for a third world country like ours there was always going to be a limited period for which we could afford to shutdown our country. So it was always a matter of time before lockdown order was revoked as we, unlike first world countries, don't have the luxury of shutting down our economy for extensive periods of time.

People flocked to markets as lockdown restrictions lifted in the country

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Addressing this situation healthcare providers have warned that lifting lockdown will have its repercussions and by doing so the gates are being opened for the disease as the decision will further spread it.

They've urged the masses to follow SoPs and preventive measures such as wearing a mask whenever going outside, avoiding handshakes, keeping atleast 6-8 feet distance from others, washing hands several times a day and observing social isolation as much as possible because the lockdown may have ended but novel Coronavirus is still very much alive. It's also advised to avoid going to places such as busy markets where chances of catching the bug are good.

It must be noted that international doctors are also of the same opinion. Among such doctors one name is Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus who's the head of the World Health Organization (WHO). He has warned the public against complacency in this fight against the virus. He also forewarned the world of rising trends in Covid-19 cases in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, Central America and South America.

Pleading the global community to be more responsible, he said:

"Make no mistake - we have a long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time."

—Photo courtesy: WHO Twitter

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He further added:

"There is no question that stay-at-home orders and other social distancing measures have successfully decrease transmission in many countries. But this virus remains extremely dangerous. Early evidence suggests most of the world's population remains susceptible. That means epidemics can easily reignite. One of the greatest dangers we face now is complacency."