BEIJING, March 27 (INP): To block population flow is the most effective way to control the COVID-19 epidemic, said Chinese scholar Prof. Cheng Xizhong.

However, the steps taken by the government of Pakistan to this effect are far from enough, he said in an article carried by Gwadar Pro App on Friday.

According to Prof. Cheng, Pakistan is surrounded by the epidemic and is facing a very serious situation. It's hard to say what will happen if the most stringent prevention and control measures are not taken immediately.

He appreciated that due to the increasing severity of the epidemic, the Pakistani government has already taken some measures to control the population flow.

But still these measures are far from enough in controlling the rapid spread of the epidemic, he added.

He viewed that Pakistan is one of the most populous countries in the world. The population density of Pakistan is higher than that of China. In China, there are 145 people per square kilometer and in Pakistan, there 256 people per square kilometer.

Therefore, if the government of Pakistan do not take the most strict and most effective prevention and control measures immediately, the consequences will be unimaginable.

At the moment of the serious epidemic, the Pakistani government seems uncertain about the closure of the cities. Prime Minister Imran Khan said that it is really difficult to close the cities in Pakistan. If the cities are closed, a large number of people will starve to death.

But, according to Prof. Cheng, the sharp deterioration of the epidemic may force the Pakistani government to finally decide to seal the cities, but by then it will be too late.

In the short term, the closure of the cities certainly affects the economy and everyone's life, but if the cities are not closed, leading to a large-scale outbreak of the epidemic, the whole economy will be fatally hit for decades.

By blocking the flow of population and keeping everyone at home as much as possible, we can effectively slow down the spread of the virus, he added.

INP/JAVED