KARACHI: The Sindh government on Monday ordered the closure of all markets at 10pm and directed businesses to re-implement the 50% work-from-home policy (detailed notification below) amid a resurgence of coronavirus cases in the country.
Sindh Home Department issued a notification to this effect. Apart from the measures outlined above, the Sindh government also notified the closure of shrines, early closure of amusement parks, and other stringent measures to contain the pandemic.
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Pakistan is in the midst of a third wave of COVID-19 due to the UK variant, which is spreading rapidly across the country. The positivity ratio has remained above 5% during the past few days, raising concern among policymakers.
According to fresh statistics issued by the NCOC, 2,253 new positive cases were reported in the last 24 hours while 29 more succumbed to the virus. The death toll has now reached 13,537 and there are now 22,038 active cases of the pandemic.
“In pursuance of the directions of National Command and Control Centre, Government of Pakistan and in review of this department’s order of even number dated 01 03 2021, Government of Sindh in exercise of the powers under Section 3 (1) of Sindh Epidemic Diseases Act 2014 (The Sindh Act VIII of 2015) is pleased to re-direct as under with immediate elect and till 15th April, 2021 unless changed or amended earlier,” the notification read.
New directives are as follows:
- All commercial/business to have revised timings Markets. shopping malls, marriage halls, etc to open from 6:00am to 10:00pm (except essential services like medical stores. clinics, hospitals as well as petrol pumps, bakeries/milk shops, restaurants, etc).
- Amusement Parks to be closed by 06:00pm.
- Work from Home – 50% of the staff in all public/private sector offices told to return to work from home arrangements.
- No indoor marriages/weddings – as per earlier decisions, only outdoor event/marriages allowed with an upper limit of 300 persons till 10:00pm under defined SOPs. Marquees told to operate only with defined modifications for proper ventilation. No buffet service is allowed.
- Restaurants – as per earlier decisions, no indoor dining allowed. Only outdoor dining and takeaway/home delivery services to continue.
- Closure of all indoor gatherings gathering places, indoor gyms to be closed. Indoor sports facilities, cinemas and theatres, shrines to also be closed.
- Outdoor gatherings allowed only in an open space with a maximum limit of 300 individuals under strict Covid-19 SOPs.
- Compulsory Mask wearing and social distancing at all government private offices and public places.
- Smart lockdowns (SLDs) as necessary based on disease hotspots as deemed appropriate by respective Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners under the Sindh Epidemic Diseases Act, 2014.
Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani announced on Monday that educational institutions will not be closed during the smart lockdown across the province.
Saeed Ghani, while talking exclusively to ARY News, said that the educational institutions will not be closed after the imposition of smart lockdown. He added that the authorities had taken actions just after the emergence of COVID-19 cases in education centres.
