Sindh govt lifts ban on pillion riding, eases lockdown restrictions
Sindh remains the worst-hit province in terms of cases
KARACHI (Dunya News) - Sindh government has lifted the ban imposed on pillion riding due to surge in coronavirus cases in a bid to ease lockdown restrictions notified yesterday.
The Sindh government has notified changes in the restrictions imposed due to rising coronavirus cases in the province.
Keeping in view the spike of fourth wave of coronavirus in the province, particularly deteriorating situation in Karachi, Sindh government has imposed a partial lockdown for nine days (July 31 to August 8).
Only export-oriented, food and health -related industries, pharmacies, bakeries and other essential services would operate, while all the markets, government offices, intra-city transport service would remain closed all over the province with special focus on Karachi.
Addressing a press conference, Spokesman for the Sindh government Murtaza Wahab said that it was owing to the decisions including the blocking of mobile SIMs taken by the Sindh government that had led to a manifold increase in the vaccination process.
He said that the government has provided enough doses to vaccination centres to inoculate the public and is allowing public transport aimed at bringing people to the vaccination centres.
“We are also lifting a ban on pillion riding,” Murtaza Wahab said and added that restaurants, bakeries, and milk shops are also exempted from following restricted timings.
He said that the chief minister headed a meeting early in the morning and decided to lift some restrictions. “The shops operating after restricted timing will be sealed for three days while marriage halls will be sealed for three months over holding a ceremony,” he said while conveying the decisions.
CM Sindh, while announcing the decision on Friday, said that it is not a complete lock down as was imposed last year but this is a little loose-lockdown being imposed to save our people and to get a breathing-space to further strengthen our health facilities which have come under immense pressure.
On the other hand, Pakistan coronavirus positivity ratio has reached 8.46 as 65 more people died from the virus in last 24 hours.
The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 23,360 on Saturday.
According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) 4,950 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
Punjab remains the worst-hit province in terms of deaths followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Till now 11,041 individuals have lost their lives to the epidemic in Punjab 5,971 in Sindh, 4,456 in KP, 801 in Islamabad, 622 in Azad Kashmir, 328 in Balochistan, and 141 in GB.
