Shopping malls, hotels, cinema halls to reopen today as lockdown ends
According to sources, shopping malls and markets will remain open throughout the week.
LAHORE (Dunya News) - After the announcement of lifting the lockdown by the federal government, the shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, gyms, theatres, cinema halls, beauty parlors across the country will reopen today (Monday) with the implementation of SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) issued in wake of coronavirus.
According to sources, shopping malls and markets will remain open throughout the week while ban on pillion riding has also been lifted. All sports and games except Kabaddi, wrestling and rugby would also to resume but without spectators.
Earlier, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar during a briefing in the National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting on Thursday said the COVID-19 pandemic had been controlled to a great extent due to the effective strategy of the government institutions, untiring efforts of doctors and paramedical staff and cooperation of the people.
He said the National Coordination Committee (NCC) had decided that all the educational institutions would be opened on September 15 after a final review by the Ministry of Education on 7th September.
He said the people of Pakistan were the real heroes in defeating the pandemic, as they strictly followed the SOPs to check the spread of the pandemic. He said the strategy of a smart lockdown adopted by Pakistan was appreciated by the other countries and they were also learning from its experience.
He said a review on the decision to reopen educational institutions on September 15 would be done on September 7. Businesses would go back to their normal pre-coronavirus timings as well.Travelling in public transport while standing, however, will not be allowed, he added.
Beauty parlors, exhibition centres, and shrines were being allowed to open, he said, but warned people to follow the SOPs in large gatherings at the shrines and seek permission from the administration before events that may attract crowds.
