As COVID-19 cases rise in Sindh amid concerns of the fourth wave, the provincial administration has decided to shut schools and enforce an indoor dining ban, among other precautions.
The decisions were made at a meeting of the Provincial Coronavirus Taskforce, led by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, on Wednesday.
Schools for students in grades 1 through 8 will be closed beginning Friday, while courses in grades 9 and above will be closed. Schools, on the other hand, will stay open for examinations for students in grades 9 and above.
During the meeting, the chief minister raised to worry about the deteriorating COVID-19 situation in Sindh, where the positive ratio has risen dramatically in recent days.
Indoor restaurants, amusement parks, water parks, tourist attractions, theatres, gyms, and indoor activities will all be closed starting Friday.
The news came as health officials warned that the fourth wave was on its way owing to a lack of adherence to safety procedures.
Before the Sindh taskforce meeting, CM Adviser Murtaza Wahab said, “the number of cases has sharply increased because people have failed to follow SOPs which may compel the Govt to take stricter decisions regarding the closure.”
The participants were told that the provincial positive rate had risen to 7.4%. To this, CM Shah said that a rate of above 5% is a source of worry for the government.
The situation in Karachi is worrisome, according to the meeting, where the positivity ratio was recorded at 17.11 on July 13.
It’s worth noting that the limitations in Sindh were gradually removed over the last several months as fresh cases were dismissed.
The Pakistan Army will be called in once again to execute the government’s required coronavirus SOPs, according to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC).
The Pakistan Army was last mobilized in April to enforce coronavirus safety measures in various areas of the nation after Prime Minister Imran Khan requested their assistance in limiting the virus’s spread.
According to a statement from the forum, the NCOC also agreed to make coronavirus vaccine obligatory for domestic travel beginning August 1.
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