CM Sindh calls for extending lockdown by 14 days
Whichever sectors are to be reopened, their SOPs should be provided to all provincial governments
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah has called for extending the country’s lockdown by 14 more days, saying that the Federal government should give a clear stance regarding future policies.
According to details, the CM took part in the National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan through video link and briefed all participants about the graveness of the situation in Sindh.
The CM said that there should be a unified national policy to counter the current situation and all decisions should be coming from the PM himself. He said that the PM should announce his decisions tomorrow, and the provinces will follow the given directives.
Murad Ali Shah also said that even if lockdown is not going to be extended, the decision should come from the PM so that there is clarity about the situation. Whichever sectors are to be reopened, their SOPs should be provided to all provincial governments, he added.
The Chief Minister also advised federal government to acquire assurances from the people receiving monetary aid to self isolate for 14 days by themselves. Moreover, he also called for the stoppage of food exports even if supplies are in a surplus.
Earlier in the day, Murad Ali Shah rejected the allegation regarding imposing lockdown across the province to contain coronavirus without properly analyzing the situation.
Addressing a press conference, the CM said that we consulted with global experts to tackle the situation and decided to devise strategies. We took extreme steps after observing what other countries were doing to prevent the virus outbreak, he added.
The CM said that not taking measures at the moment would have been the biggest mistake. We were getting mix signals from the federal government regarding assistance in curbing the coronavirus, he revealed.
What was the purpose of lockdowns if people were gathered in huge crowds to receive money, he questioned.
CM Murad Ali Shah further informed, “We have recorded 41 new cases while 30 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours. 317 people are in hospitals and 37 patients in quarantine centres.”
