Schools to stay open as Sindh announces new Covid restrictions

KARACHI: Amidst rising coronavirus cases, the Sindh government’s task force on Covid-19 announced Saturday a set of restrictions to control the fifth wave of the pandemic.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah presided over a meeting of the Sindh Task Force to take stock of the current Covid-19 situation. The meeting decided to keep all educational institutions in the province open.

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Government employees flouting the SOPs, including the mask-wearing rule, will have to pay a fine to be deducted from their salary, the task force said. It further decided to conduct a survey of all hospitals, including private and public health facilities, to assess their capacity.

CM Murad sought data on beds vacant and occupied at these facilities. He said mask-wearing has been made compulsory at all public places, including wedding halls, markets and shopping malls.

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The task force said only vaccinated people will be allowed in markets with their administration required to check vaccination cards of citizens. It called for food to be served in boxes at weddings.

The meeting decided to ramp up vaccination against Covid-19. The chief minister blamed lack of adherence to the SOPs for rising Covid cases, stressing that the fifth wave of the pandemic could be controlled if the people cooperate with the government.