CM Shah to hold media talk today ahead of new Covid lockdown

KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah has convened a press briefing on Friday after the top provincial task force on Covid announced stricter lockdown due to increasing infection positivity and delta variant-led carnage, ARY News reported.

The Murad Ali Shah-led task force has announced earlier today it will impose a lockdown across Sindh until August 08 after the city witnessed an abnormal surge in COVID-19 cases.

The decision was taken in a meeting headed by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah in the meeting of the COVID task force that was specially attended by opposition leaders and traders.

Among other curbs introduced during the lockdown, the government said that it would shut all government offices from next week, while inter-city transport and markets would remain shut from Saturday.

READ: Sindh govt imposes lockdown in Karachi after surge in Covid cases

The provincial government further conveyed that anybody coming on Karachi roads will be checked for vaccination and will only be allowed to travel after having the vaccination card.

The exempted sectors in the lockdown included pharmacies, grocers, and the export industry.

Additionally, the provincial government said that salary will not be paid to unvaccinated employees after August 31 under new restrictions agreed during the COVID task force meeting.