Sindh CM to chair session of provincial task force on coronavirus

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah will chair the session of the Provincial Task Force on Coronavirus today, ARY News reported.

The provincial task force will deliberate on the imposition of new restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus fuelled by the Omicron variant.

Moreover, the provincial health department forwarded its suggestions to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) regarding the coronavirus-related restrictions.

READ: ‘NO LOCKDOWN’ AS COVID POSITIVITY REACHES OVER 28PC IN KARACHI

It has been recommended to close wedding halls in the first phase to curb Omicron spread besides imposing a ban on indoor dining in hotels. It was also recommended to issue strict orders to enforce Covid SOPs besides taking actions against the violators.

The Sindh health department will submit the same recommendations to the provincial task force today.

Earlier on Friday, the Karachi administration had taken strict decisions to curb the spread of COVID-19 fuelled by the Omicron variant and expedite vaccination.

The decisions were taken in a high-level session chaired by Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon today. It was decided to expedite Covid vaccination and achieve the targets besides taking notice of the violations in wedding halls.

READ: KARACHI ADMINISTRATION TAKES STRICT DECISIONS TO ENFORCE COVID SOPS

The participants had decided to enforce standard operation procedures (SOPs) set for the wedding halls. Memon gave go-ahead to the deputy commissioners for enforcing the Covid SOPs with the assistance of police, Rangers teams by visiting all wedding halls.

The commissioner added that the local administration should not allow entry of more than 1,000 guests at a wedding venue nor people not wearing face masks.

Deputy commissioners were directed to constitute teams for inspecting wedding halls, markets, hotels, shopping malls and different gatherings.

For schools, the commissioner decided to take strict steps for expediting Covid vaccination of children aged above 12. It was decided to shut schools that are not cooperating with the local administration for Covid vaccination of students and staffers.

COVID-19: POSITIVE CASES GRAPH IN KARACHI SOARS TO 20.45 PCT

In an alarming trend, the COVID positivity ratio in Karachi has reached over 28 per cent, however, the provincial authorities have rejected chances of a lockdown in the metropolis.

According to data shared by the federal health authorities, the COVID positivity ratio in Karachi has touched 28.80 per cent after 2,081 cases have been reported out of 7226 cases performed in the city during the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has rejected the chances of imposing a lockdown in Karachi after more than one-fourth of people undergoing COVID tests have tested positive for the infection.