Sindh govt to impose complete lockdown on Friday from 12 noon to 3pm
All shops and business centres will also remain closed during the lockdown.
KARACHI (Dunya News) – In yet another desperate attempt to stem the rising number of coronavirus cases in the country, the Sindh government on Wednesday is preparing to impose a complete lockdown in the province on Friday from 12 noon to 3pm.
According to sources, the provincial government has decided to impose complete lockdown on Friday from 12 noon to 3pm, while the decision has also been taken to limit large gatherings during Friday prayers.
The Pakistan Peoples’ Party-led (PPP) provincial government, in consultation with Ulemas, decided to impose a complete lockdown in a bid to limit people from gathering in mosques in large numbers.
All shops and business centres will also remain closed during the lockdown. The government has also decided to take strict action against those violating the law.
Lockdown
On March 22, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah imposed a lockdown throughout the province for 15 days in order to control the spread of coronavirus.
Sindh has the largest number of coronavirus cases in the country, with 676 confirmed. Pakistan’s tally is currently 2039 with 26 deaths.
The Sindh CM, in order to stop the spread of coronavirus by limiting social contact, had taken the drastic decision under which all restaurants, shopping malls, food streets, sea-view parks and government offices, except those offering essential services, had been closed for 15 days all over the province.
The restaurants across the city had been allowed to offer home delivery service, while all schools, colleges, and universities across the province had already been closed through May 31.
Sindh CM forms mobile service to provide ration to needy people
On March 24, Murad Ali Shah had formed a three-member committee for the distribution of ration to needy people amid the lockdown imposed due to the spread of coronavirus. The committee had been directed to look after the distribution of ration and cash to the daily wagers and needy people.
The chief minister had urged philanthropists and wealthy individuals to come forward in these difficult times and help in the cause. He appealed the nation to stay at home and follow guidelines given to them in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. He also received a generous donation of Rs1 million from an anonymous individual for the Sindh Coronavirus Emergency Fund set up to receive donations in the provision of essential supplies.
The PPP-led Sindh government had decided to distribute two million ration bags among the poor to keep their kitchen running.
Murad Ali Shah released Rs7.21 billion, including Rs6.9 billion to health department and rest of the amount to commissioner Sukkur to contain and combat COVID-19 threat.
“I’ll make more funds available to contain, curb and combat the threat of coronavirus but this will be possible when we all will work together with spirit”.
The rations bags will be stuffed with rice, wheat flour, ghee, sugar, tea, pulses and spices.
Sindh CM directs to supply relief goods
The chief minister on Tuesday had directed the concerned authorities to supply relief goods among the needy and daily wagers after collecting data from Provincial Disaster Management Authority.
According to the spokesman of Chief Ministers House, he also directed to collect data of deserving people from NADRA so that relief could be provided to deserving people.
The novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China last December, and has spread to at least 203 countries and territories. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic.
Out of more than 874,615 confirmed cases, the death toll now exceeds 43,430 and over 184,952 have recovered, according to data compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.
Despite the rising number of cases, most people who contract the virus suffer only mild symptoms before making a recovery.
