Policemen stop commuters at a sealed area, after some people tested positive for coronavirus, during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Karachi on April 14, 2020.

Pakistan has extended its Covid-19 lockdown for another two weeks. However, many poor people defy it because they need to work to make ends meet.

There has been little activity on the streets in urban centers since Pakistan announced a lockdown three weeks ago over the fear of surge in the coronavirus cases. However, the poor people defy lockdown everyday in search of some work.

Many of them rely on public handouts. The government is paying 80 dollars to each of nearly 3 million poor families. However, not everyone among them is getting essential food supplies and financial help they need.

One-hundred have died of coronavirus in Pakistan while nearly 6,000 have been quarantined after they tested positive. About 1400 patients have recovered from Covid-19 so far.

After two days of consultations, Prime Minister Imran Khan extended the lockdown for the next two weeks. However, as 25 percent of people are living below the poverty line, the government has relaxed restrictions on construction industry and agriculture sector to help the most vulnerable segments of the society.

Many trade associations have demanded similar concessions and have vowed to reopen their business in defiance of official restrictions. In several other cases, the food supplies were looted.

Many medical experts believe the reason the coronavirus has not hit hard Pakistani citizens, is because of their genetically strong immune system. However, Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned medical experts and general public not to draw a premature conclusion as the real scale of the spread of deadly virus has yet to fully unfold.

SOURCE: PRESS TV