-Asad warns COVID devastation if SOPs not followed
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By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: More than 20 million people lost livelihood due to lockdowns imposed to halt spread of Covid-19, a survey conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) revealed.
According to the survey conducted to evaluate the impact of Covid-19 on the well-being of people, 6.7 million people witnessed reduction in their earning due to the lockdowns and economic downturn brought on by the pandemic.
Pakistan’s workforce was recorded at 55.7 million before the onset of Covid-19 but this declined to 35 million due to the lockdowns. However, after the first wave of the pandemic was over, the number of workforce rebounded to a bit lower than pre-Covid period (52.5 million).
It disclosed that 10 per cent households reported food insecurity during the first wave of the pandemic.
Earlier in 2020 the then Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance (now finance minister) Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh told the Senate that as many as three million people could lose their jobs due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a written reply submitted during in session of the upper house of parliament on his behalf, he said the coronavirus-induced economic downturn could render one million people in the industrial sector jobless while two million in the services sector.
Hafeez Shaikh said poverty rate would increase to 33.5 per cent from the existing of 24.3 pc while the fiscal deficit could balloon to 9.4 per cent from 7.5 per cent. He pointed out the rupee recorded 7.5 depreciation in its value in March due to the virus.
Meanwhile on Monday Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar warned that Pakistan could face the devastation brought on by Covid-19 in countries like the US and UK “if we do not continue to do the right things”.
He tweeted: “The devastation unfolding in countries like USA & UK these days where there are more cases & covid deaths than at any time in the first wave, show the danger that could face us, if we do not continue to do the right things, with both the state and citizens playing their role.”
