ISLAMABAD, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani government said on Tuesday that COVID-19 may widely spread in the country during the forthcoming Eid al-Adha festival if people do not follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) formed to contain the spread of the disease.
Briefing media about the cabinet meeting following its conclusion, the country's Information Minister Shibli Faraz said that people should follow the SOPs and keep taking precautionary measures to avoid the spread of the disease during Eid al-Adha to be observed by the end of this month.
The information minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan, who chaired the cabinet meeting, decided to spend the festival at his home with simplicity, urging the public to do the same and avoid meeting people at the festival during the pandemic.
Earlier, the government allowed traders to set up cattle markets, from where people can buy animals to slaughter at Eid al-Adha, in various places under strict SOPs to avoid that the markets become the hotspots of the disease.
The minister said that the number of new COVID-19 patients in the country is declining due to the smart lockdown policy of the government and if people cooperate, the country will successfully defeat the disease.
He said that the financial support of the government to the poor families during the COVID-19 outbreak has proved helpful and the second phase of the financial support to the remaining deserving families will start soon. Enditem
