No decision taken on extending or easing lockdown in Sindh: Nasir Shah

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Information Nasir Hussain Shah on Wednesday said that the provincial government is yet to decide on extending or further easing coronavirus lockdown in the province, ARY NEWS reported.

“The lockdown remains implemented as per the terms of the last notification issued by the government,” Nasir Shah said adding that any decision on extending or easing lockdown in the province would be taken after consultation with the federal government.

“The shopkeepers should follow the lockdown time period and open their businesses following agreed standard operating procedures (SOPs).”

He further said that Transport Minister Awais Qadir Shah was in touch with the transporters and soon they would decide over the issues faced due to a ban on transport activities amid ongoing lockdown.

It is pertinent to mention here that Sindh province remains the most affected area of the country from the infection and health experts had warned against easing lockdown in the province.

As many as 699 new cases of the novel coronavirus were detected in Sindh over the past 24 hours, rising the tally of infections to 24,206 across the province, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said on Wednesday.

Among 699 fresh cases, 559 have been diagnosed in Karachi, Shah said.

In a video statement on the coronavirus situation on Wednesday, Chief Minister Shah said that 2,177 tests were conducted in Sindh during 24 hours, while six more people died from COVID-19, taking the number of fatalities to 380 in the province.

A total of 163,805 tests have been conducted in the province, the CM said.

He said 235 coronavirus patients have been in critical condition and 42 of them are on ventilators.

The tally of total coronavirus patients under treatment in Sindh has been 14,556 and 12,836 among them were under treatment at homes. While 793 being kept at isolation centres, 927 patients have been admitted at various hospitals across the province, Murad Ali Shah said.

He said, 755 more patients have recuperated from the disease and discharged to their homes as the number of people defeating the deadly virus has reached to 9270 mark.

Murad Ali Shah has appealed people to follow precautionary measures to defeat the Covid-19.