-Educational institutions, marriage halls to be reopened on Sep 15th
-Cinemas, restaurants to resume operations from Monday
-NCOC decides to intensify public awareness campaign to ensure adherence to SOPs
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday announced that it was easing coronavirus-related restrictions on different sectors, as Covid-19 cases continue to decline across the country.
According to the latest figures released by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), 727 confirmed Covid-19 cases diagnosed were in 24 hours and 21 more deaths were reported due to the disease. Active coronavirus cases in the country stand at 19,770, 256,058 patients have recovered from the disease whereas the nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 6,035.
Addressing a press conference, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said that the coronavirus outbreak in the country has been brought under control because of the effective strategy of government institutions, the untiring efforts of doctors and paramedical staff, and the cooperation of the people of Pakistan.
Talking about the decisions taken during the National Coordination Committee (NCC) all the educational institutions will be reopened on September 15 after a final review by the Ministry of Education on September 7. He said that cinema halls and hospitality sector, including hotels and restaurants, would also be allowed to resume operations from August 10, while the tourism sector would start functioning from August 8. He added that outdoor and indoor non-contact games would also be allowed from August 10. The minister said that marriage halls would be allowed to operate from September 15 while beauty parlours would be allowed to reopen from August 10.
He said that restrictions on trains and airlines which were already operational would be lifted in October. Similarly, the road transport would be allowed to operate from August 10 but passengers would not be allowed to travel by standing in metro buses, he added.
Asad said that the smart lockdown strategy adopted by Pakistan has been appreciated by the other countries and they are also learning from Pakistan’s experience.
Agencies add: Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar on Thursday said that government has decided to reopen dine-in restaurants, cafes, cinemas and gyms from August 10 after a closure of nearly five months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking to the media after a meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC), Asad Umar said that all educational institutions across the country would reopen from September 15. “A Covid-19 situation would be reviewed on September 7 before reopening of schools,” he added.
He said restrictions on already operational trains and airlines will be lifted in October.
Marriage halls will be allowed to function from 15th of September whereas beauty parlors will be allowed to open from 10th of this month, announced Asad Umar.The minister said that standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the recently allowed businesses will be finalised in the next few days.
Talking about tourism spots, Asad Umar announced that all tourist spots and hotels in the country will reopen on August 8.
The government has also given permission to hold events for non-contact sports from August 10, he added.
• Tourism Industry: August 8
• Restaurants, cafes (dine-in): August 10
• Cinemas, theatres and gyms: August 10
• Non-contact sports: August 10
• Educational institutions: September 15
• Marriage halls: September 15
It is pertinent to mention here that all restaurants, shopping malls and shops were closed following the lockdown imposed in the country in March to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The active coronavirus cases in the country stands at 19,770 while the nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 6,035.
19,770 COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment and 256,058 patients have recuperated from the disease thus far. In 735 hospitals across the country 1365 COVID-19 patients have been admitted.
Meanwhile, the National Command Operation Center (NCOC) decided to intensify public awareness campaign at a large scale to curb the spread of coronavirus pandemic across the country.
The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of NCOC, chaired by the planning minister in Islamabad.
