From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: Sindh government on Wednesday announced a set of new restrictions to halt the spread of the coronavirus amid the third Covid-19 wave, According to a notification issued here on Wednesday, the provincial government imposed a complete ban on indoor/outdoor wedding ceremonies from April 6.
It ordered that “all kinds of gatherings (indoor/outdoor) will be banned with immediate effect.”
“This will include all social, cultural, political, sports and other events,” the notification reads. The notification reads that all markets, shopping malls and other businesses will work from 6am in the morning till 8pm.
The Sindh government also announced to shut all public parks, cinemas, shrines and imposed a ban on dine-in services at restaurants. Outdoor dining will be allowed till 10:00 pm
According to a notification issued in this regard, the following measures will be taken:
• Indoor dining will be prohibited
• All sports, festivals will be totally banned
• Shrines, cinemas, parks and music centers shut down
• All indoor activities/marriages will be prohibited.
• Outdoor activities with a maximum of 300 people will be allowed till 8pm
• 50 percent work from home policy declared necessary
• Intercity public transport to operate at 50% of capacity
• The shops which are necessary will remain open for 24 hours
Last week, the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) had imposed a ban on all kinds of gatherings with immediate effect. It directed that the wedding ceremony will be banned from April 5. The NCOC said these decisions will be implemented in districts and cities with 8% positivity percentage (three days rolling average).
Moreover, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah suggested on Wednesday that the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) should suspend inter-city public transport amid rising number of Covid-19 cases.
Talking to the media after appearing before an accountability court in the Nooriabad power plant case, he said the coronavirus situation did not worsen in Sindh due to the provincial government’s efforts. He added the provincial government imposed a lockdown in the province despite the federal government’s opposing the move. CM Murad said the country is headed for the crisis at a time when the world has come out of it, slamming the slow-pace of the ongoing countrywide Covid-19 vaccination drive.
He said he had been summoned in the case of the Nooriabad power plant that is not only operational but providing cheaper electricity to the people of Karachi.
According to the reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), CM Murad Ali Shah is accused of misusing powers in disbursement of funds for the Nooriabad power plant project.
It stated that public funds worth billions were embezzled for Nooriabad Power Company and Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company. Murad and Abdul Ghani Majeed are among 17 persons who are nominated in the corruption reference by the anti-graft watchdog.
Meanwhile, Coronavirus on Wednesday has claimed 78 more lives in Pakistan during the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 14,434. The latest statistics of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) showed the COVID-19 has claimed 78 more lives and 4,757 fresh infections were reported during the period.
During the period of a day, the total count of active cases was recorded at 50,397 and the positivity rate stood at 10.8 per cent.
