A Reuters picture.
KARACHI / PESHAWAR / LAHORE / QUETTA / ISLAMABAD: In wake of a surge in novel coronavirus instances throughout the nation, provincial governments set out for a lockdown on Thursday to comprise the outbreak.
The lethal pneumonia-like virus, which surfaced in China’s Hubei province late December 2019, has contaminated over 200,000 folks globally with over 9,000 deaths. Though scientists across the globe are growing vaccine and drugs, the one defence in opposition to the virus at present is preventive measures– self-isolation or quarantine.
Pakistan’s tally of the COVID-19 sufferers crossed 300 late Wednesday with Punjab confirming a complete of 33 instances. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa confirmed two COVID-19 deaths inside hours of one another.
The Nationwide Catastrophe Administration Authority has notified mitigation measure within the federal territory and Azad Jammu and Kashmir by ordering conversion of inns into quarantine centres underneath a “one person one room policy”.
Lockdown
For the reason that emergence of the primary coronavirus affected person in late February, the Sindh authorities put in place preventive measures. Starting with revising the tutorial yr by preponing summer time holidays, it then banned public gathering and got down to shut down eating places, gyms, social golf equipment and so forth. The federal government additionally closed down all wedding ceremony lawns and halls throughout the province.
On Wednesday, the Pakistan Peoples Celebration (PPP) authorities formally notified the closure of a number of departments as a part of sweeping measures to forestall the outbreak. “In pursuance of the Sindh Epidemic Diseases Act 2014, the government of Sindh has decided to close the following departments offices, autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies, corporation of these departments under the administrative control of the government of Sindh through the province with effect from March 19 to April 3,” reads the notification issued by the provincial chief secretary.
As many as 25 departments are listed within the notification.
In the meantime, in Punjab, the Usman Buzdar-led authorities selected to go digital by directing skeleton workers in workplaces and implementing a work-from-home coverage for remaining. The federal government officers will use a Skype enterprise account arrange by the Punjab Info Know-how Board (PITB).
“Only necessary participants should be invited for meetings,” it added.
The federal government has additionally banned the entry of normal public and put up numbers of related officers for the residents to contact. Entry of vacationers and guests into leisure spots together with tourism in Murree and different locations has been suspended whereas procuring malls shall be closed at 10:00pm. Solely normal shops, pharmacies and factories will stay open.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa authorities imposed an emergency within the Ok-P Income Authority (Ok-PRA) to make procuring essential objects required for public well being simpler. Face masks and different protecting gears are being offered to medical doctors for his or her security.
A notification by the Ok-P Aid, Rehabilitation and Settlement Division mentioned that entry of normal public to all secretariats, directorates, district workplaces (besides these of the district administration) has been stopped whereas the timing for presidency workplaces has been restricted from 10am to 4pm from Mondays to Thursday, and 12pm on Fridays.
All official conferences, which have greater than 5 members, will solely be held by way of video conferencing.
Non-public ceremonies in homes and closed compounds have additionally been banned. Barbers and wonder parlours have additionally been ordered to shut for 15 days. All eating places and eateries within the province have been informed to stay closed till April 5, although these institutions can function for house deliveries and take-away. Banks have been directed to put in hand sanitisers at ATMs.
In Balochistan, Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan appealed to the residents to assist authorities implement preventive measures by avoiding crowds in markets, public spots and transportations.
