QUETTA – The local administration announced on Friday to impose complete lockdown in Gwadar for two weeks in order to control the spread of coronavirus.
The lockdown will come into effect from July 26 (Monday), said officials, adding that the decision has been taken in light of the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the city.
They said that 290 cases were reported in last 24 hours in Gwadar. The decision comes after the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) warned people of the fourth wave of the pandemic.
Sindh Tightens Restrictions
As the coronavirus cases continue to pile up, the Sindh government has also decided to tighten the restrictions in the province from Monday (July 26) in order to avoid a health crisis.
The decision to impose restrictions was taken during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Friday.
The provincial health secretary informed the meeting that the positivity ratio has crossed 10% in the province while the situation in Karachi is extremely bad as the spread rate reaches 25%.
In the light of the growing number of cases, the timing of shopping malls and markets will be reduced to 6pm from Monday onwards while grocery and medical stores will be allowed to work 24 hours.
The government has also decided to impose ban on marriage halls and other gatherings, besides closing down shrines across the province.
Indoor and outdoor dining will also be banned at restaurants while they will be allowed to continue takeaway and home delivery services.
The provincial government decided that education institutions will also remain closed from Monday onwards while exams are not being postponed.
In order to push public to get vaccination, the provincial government has decided to move the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to get the mobile sims of unvaccinated people blocked as the fourth wave of coronavirus grips the country.
Adviser to the Chief Minister Murtaza Wahab Friday in a tweet said that the Sindh government has decided to approach the NCOC and the PTA that mobile sims of unvaccinated people should be blocked.
A spokesperson to Sindh CM said that the PTA would be asked to send messages to the mobile users asking them to receive vaccination and block the sims if they fail to get the jab within a week.
The chief minister also directed the finance secretary to stop salaries of unvaccinated government employees from the next month.
Covid Situation in Pakistan
Pakistan reported 1,425 new cases during the last 24 hours, taking the tally 1,000,034 on Friday.
According to the NCOC, 25,215 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours and the positivity rate recorded at 5.65%.
Death toll from the coronavirus now stands 22,939 after 11 people lost their lives to the infection.
The total active cases of the country are 53,623.
Read more: https://pakobserver.net/public-urged-to-be-cautious-of-covid-19/
