Bureau Report
KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to close all restaurants and shopping malls across the province for 15 days from tomorrow (March 18) to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus as number of patients who tested positive has surpassed 170 in Sindh alone.
All government offices will also be shut in the province from March 19, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister House on Tuesday.
However, the official communique said that the closure will not be applicable for the groceries and medical stores.
“All restaurants, malls, shopping centres will be closed in Sindh from tomorrow. Only takeaways & deliveries will be allowed. Section 144 also to be imposed at beach & parks. It is clarified that shopping stores & chemists will remain open. Citizens are once again urged to cooperate,” Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said in a tweet from his official handle on Tuesday. Chief Minsiter Murad Ali Shah has said that the if the coronavirus turns into a outbreak, the situation will become out of control.
Decision comes after Sindh witnessed a rapid increase in the cases of contagious disease with 172 people, mostly arrived from Iran, tested positive. In another tweet, the provincial spokesperson also gave details of the cases.
Moreover, the Sindh government has also established a coronavirus relief fund with the “seed money of Rs3 billion”. The chief minister, provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants and all Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmakers will contribute their one month salary to the fund, Murtaza Wahab also wrote on his official Twitter handle. The government has directed K-Electric to ensure uninterrupted power supply during what can be dubbed a partial lockdown in the port city.
