Balochistan, GB notify imposition of coronavirus lockdown

QUETTA/CHILAS: Following the guidelines of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) governments have announced to impose coronavirus lockdown, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The Balochistan government’s spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani said in a statement that tougher restrictions have been imposed across the province from May 8 to 16. A ban was imposed on all trade and amusement activities. All markets, shops, shopping malls will remain closed following the new restrictions.

However, the shops of essential commodities, medical stores, hospitals, blood banks, dairy items, grocery, meat, vegetable and fruit shops will remain open.

Shahwani announced that the restrictions will also be implemented on the night of the Eidul Fitr festival under which all shops of jewellery, mehndi and clothes will be closed.

Read: Don’t head to Swat, other tourist spots in northern areas this Eid

In Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), public access to tourist spots will be completed banned from May 8 to 16 including the free public movement during the Eid holidays. According to the notification, all tourist destinations will be closed in Diamer and its subdivision Chilas.

All hotels and restaurants will also be closed that are located in the surrounding of tourist places.

In-district transport services will be banned, whereas, the citizens of other provinces will not be allowed to enter the GB region during Eid holidays.

Except for Sindh, all provinces including Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) notified the implementation of tougher restrictions ahead of Eidul Fitr from May 8 due to a recent spike in coronavirus cases.

Read: LEAs to be deployed at tourist spots during Eid holidays: NCOC

The Sindh province will impose the coronavirus lockdown from May 9 as it has allowed trade activities on Saturday (May 8).

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government had also issued a notification regarding the imposition of complete lockdown from May 8 to 16 due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases.

Following the guidelines of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the AJK government had notified the closure of all trade centres and tourism activities except the shops of essential commodities, fuel stations, medical stores and vaccination centres.