Pakistan President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday urged the nation to strictly observe precautionary measures on the occasion of Eid al-Adha in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.

In his message, President Alvi urged people to help the needy as the coronavirus pandemic had negatively affected the economy, The Express Tribune reported.

Prime Minister Khan, in his message, said the pandemic had become a challenge for humanity and the entire world is faced with a critical situation.

He added that the people should strictly adhere to the SOPs in place and the government is utilising all its capabilities to control the epidemic in the country.

As of Saturday, the number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan stood at 278,914, with 5,968 deaths.

(IANS)