KARACHI: Restrictions are being tightened in Sindh in view of increasing coronavirus cases and standard operating procedures cannot be relaxed at the moment.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced this in a press conference on Sunday along with medical experts and representatives of doctors’ organisations.
He said that the coronavirus situation in the province has taken an alarming turn after Eid, so much so that hospitals have run out of beds in Covid-19 wards to accommodate more patients. He also said that the government successfully overcame the first wave of the virus; however, the situation is different now.
“Covid-19 positivity ratio in Karachi is more than 13 percent as we deal with the third wave of coronavirus. This shows that the cases are on the rise since Eid, and we are finding it difficult to ease the restrictions in the province,” the chief minister maintained.
Announcing measures taken by the provincial government, Murad informed that shops across the province would be open till 6:00 pm instead of 8:00 pm; only pharmacies would be allowed to remain open, except for those inside shopping malls. The chief minister warned that action will be taken against shop owners in case of violation.
Indoor and outdoor dining will be completely closed, and only takeaways and home deliveries will be allowed. However, the chief minister warned that the permission must not be misused.
A ban on all kinds of events will remain in place, whereas recreational spots, parks and cinema halls will remain closed for the next two weeks.
As per the earlier decision, grocery stores will be allowed to operate till 6:00 pm while public transports will run with 50 percent passengers, with severe penalties for violations.
Meanwhile, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani announced on Sunday that all public and private educational institutions in Sindh will remain closed in view of the current coronavirus situation in the province.
According to a notification issued by the Sindh government in this regard, all educational institutions will remain closed until further notice.
During the suspension of the teaching process in educational institutions, headmasters and teaching staff will be allowed to go to campuses in accordance with the 50% attendance rule, Ghani said.
“During this period, all classes will continue to take place online,” the minister said, adding that in addition to the online classes, students should be given homework through alternative means too through the use of different software and online platforms, including Microsoft Office, email, and messaging services like WhatsApp.
