The Sindh government on Friday eased coronavirus-related restrictions by extending business closing times to 10 p.m. and allowing fully vaccinated individuals to dine inside.
According to a statement released by the Sindh government’s information cell:
- Businesses are allowed to remain open till 10 pm.
- Bakeries and dairy shops are allowed to remain open till 12am.
- Hotels, restaurants, and cafes are allowed to resume both indoor and outdoor dining till 12am while maintaining a distance of three feet between customers.
- Indoor dining is allowed at 50 per cent capacity only for vaccinated people and all hotels, restaurants, and cafes will have to check the vaccination certificates for these customers.
- Drive-thru, takeaway, and delivery are open 24/7.
- Outdoor marriages and functions are allowed with up to 400 people while maintaining a distance of three feet.
- Indoor weddings are allowed with up to 200 vaccinated people and the management will have to check the vaccination certificates.
- Shrines are allowed to open subject to strict standard operating procedures.
- Cinemas and theatres are allowed to remain open till 1 am only for vaccinated people.
- Indoor gyms are allowed to open only for vaccinated people.
- Amusement parks, swimming pools, and arcades are allowed to open with 50pc occupancy.
- Public transport is allowed to operate with 70pc occupancy.
- All offices, public and private, are allowed to function at 100pc occupancy.
- Sunday will be observed as a ‘safe day’ in Karachi, other divisions will decide their own safe days.
- All types of indoor and outdoor gatherings, including cultural, musical, and religious events are prohibited.
The provincial government also published a set of general recommendations, requiring all companies and organizations to guarantee that their employees are fully vaccinated as soon as possible. According to the notice, the government will shortly begin random checks of employees’ immunization status.
It went on to say that vaccination will be one of the requirements for future openings or closures.
Last week, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) approved the return of indoor eating for vaccinated people, subject to a 50% occupancy requirement, as well as a number of other decisions to be implemented between July 1 and July 31.
It also planned to progressively normalize incoming international air traffic by expanding direct flights from the UK, Europe, Canada, China, and Malaysia to 40%.
Meanwhile, coronavirus cases in Sindh are steadily increasing, with over 500 illnesses recorded in the past four days.
Sindh has verified 881 new cases and 19 deaths linked to the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall number of infections to 339,268 and the death toll to 5,497.
