Spike in cases forces Sindh to bring back COVID-19 restrictions

KARACHI: With the positivity ratio of Sindh crossing 10%, the Sindh government announced on Friday that it will be imposing COVID-19 restrictions once again.

From Monday onwards, shopping malls and markets will only be allowed to operate from 6am till 6pm. Grocery stores, bakeries and pharmacies will, however, be allowed to remain open till later.

The provincial government has also decided to place  a ban on marriage halls and large gatherings, and shrines in the province will have been ordered to close due to the worsening situation of the pandemic.

The decisions came during a meeting of the Provincial Coronavirus Task Force chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

The authorities have also banned indoor and outdoor dining at the restaurants, and they will only be allowed to offer takeaway and delivery services.

Education institutions in Sindh will remain closed from Monday onwards, but exams will be held as per schedule.

The provincial health secretary informed the meeting that the positivity ratio of the province has climbed to 10.3%, while the situation in Karachi is extremely bad where the ratio is at 21.58%.

CM Murad observed that the coronavirus situation in the provinces was alarming and warned that the situation could turn worse after Eid.

Health Secretary Kazim Jatoi told the participants that 85% of the patients admitted in Sindh’s hospitals were not vaccinated.

Sindh govt asks authorities to block sims of unvaccinated people 

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has decided to get the mobile sims of unvaccinated people blocked as the fourth COVID-19 wave grips the country.

Adviser to the Chief Minister Murtaza Wahab Friday tweeted that the Sindh government has decided to approach the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in this regard.

A spokesperson to Sinch CM said that the PTA would be asked to send messages to the telecom users asking them to get vaccinated and block the sims of those not getting the jab within a week.

The chief minister also directed to stop salaries of unvaccinated government employees from the next month.

Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/867397-spike-in-cases-forces-sindh-to-bring-back-covid-19-restrictions-once-again