Pakistani PM rules out general lockdown

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI, Pakistan  - Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday ruled out a general lockdown while acknowledging the country was going through a third wave of the pandemic.

Pakistan reported 4,757 new infections and 78 deaths on March 30, with two thirds of ventilators and around 80% of beds with oxygen facilities in major cities occupied. "We have to adopt a balanced policy where the spread of the virus can be prevented and where the poor man and the country's economy are least affected," Khan told a national coordinating committee meeting.