The World Health Organisation (WHO) — in a letter addressed to Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid — has recommended that the country impose an "intermittent lockdown" to curb the spread of COVID-19, noting that the country doesn't meet any prerequisites for lifting restrictions as was done on May 1 and then on May 22

The letter dated June 7 has been penned by Dr Palitha Mahipala, WHO Country Head for Pakistan, and states that the coronavirus has spread to almost all districts in the country, with major cities making up a majority of national cases.

"Government intervention on April 12 detailing social distancing measures, including movement restrictions, closure of schools and businesses, international travel restrictions, and geographical area restrictions were instituted with the aim of limiting the spread of the disease."

However, the partial relaxation of restrictions on May 1, followed by a complete relaxation on May 22, has caused the rate of infection to increase, the letter noted.

A screenshot from the letter showing the daily increase in COVID-19 cases.
According to WHO recommendations, any government that wishes to lift lockdown restrictions must meet a set of conditions. The letter noted that so far, Pakistan has not met any of the conditions which include:

Disease transmission is under control
Health systems can "detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact"
Hot spot risks are minimised in vulnerable places
Schools, workplaces and other essential places should have preventive measures
The risk of importing new cases can be managed
Communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to live under a new normal
"The positivity rate is high, the surveillance system is weak, there is limited capacity to provide for critical patients and the population is not ready to adapt to change in behaviour," the letter stated.

The WHO recommended that strategic decisions should be taken to either tighten or loosen public health measures. "These difficult decisions will require the need to balance the response directly to COVID-19 which includes intermittent lockdowns of targeted areas."

Stressing the need for ramping up testing capacity beyond 50,000 tests per day and strengthening public health measures, the WHO recommended that the government enforce a "two weeks on, two weeks off strategy" as it offers the smallest infection curve.

Pakistan's coronavirus cases surpassed the 100,000 mark last week. As of June 9, more than 110,000 COVID-19 cases and 2,000 deaths have been reported.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1562406/who-says-pakistan-meets-no-pre-requisites-for-easing-restrictions-recommends-intermittent-lockdown