Effects of Lockdown Lifting on COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality in Pakistan: A Statistical Analysis

We present a timely evaluation of health effects of COVID-19 related lockdown events in Pakistan. Using parametric t tests and non-parametric Wilcoxon signed ranks tests we find that the coronavirus cases and deaths in the four-weeks after lockdown lifting are significantly greater than those reported over the same time periods during lockdown. This paper is meant to aid in handling interventions to manage COVID-19 outbreak across the Asia and Pacific region, especially to the ones that have similar settings of health care systems and economic development. However, the direct economic and environmental effects of imposing and easing lockdown measures remain a matter of further investigation.