Coronavirus: Sindh govt closes wedding halls, shrines across province

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Saturday announced to close all wedding halls, shrines and festivals across the province for three weeks, ARY News reported.

Briefing media about the decisions taken in Sindh Task Force meeting chaired by Chief Murad Ali Shah, Advisor to CM on Law Murtaza Wahab said the provincial govt has decided to immediately close all marriage halls and shrines for three weeks following the decisions taken in National Security Council (NSC) meeting.

We are not imposing a ban on marriages, the wedding events can take place in homes or other places in a simple way with limited gathering,” explained Murtaza Wahab on a decision of closing marriage halls across Sindh.

He that besides a ban on wedding halls and shrines, the cinemas across the province will also remain closed for three weeks. Murtaza Wahab said that  Siddh govt is taking all necessary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

“The provincial govt has decided to utilise two buildings of apartments for a quarantine centre. There are around 1024 flats in two buildings with a capacity to accommodate 2048 patients,” added Murtaza Wahab.

Earlier, a meeting of the Task Force on novel coronavirus was held in Karachi today with CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah in the chair.

CM Sindh had said that he wants prevention of the local transmission of the highly contagious disease and called every person in Sindh to play a role in the prevention of local transmission of the virus.

He also directed for setting up quarantine centres in each district of Sindh.

The meeting was informed that the pilgrims from Iran were reaching to Sukkur from Quetta and trained medical staff has been deployed at Sukkur to get samples for the coronavirus diagnostic test.

“300 samples from Sukkur will be tested at various private and charity hospitals to divide burden of the work,” the chief minister said. The chief minister’s helicopter has been sent to Sukkur to bring back the samples to Karachi.

Around 289 pilgrims have reached Sukkur while 853 more coming to the city, he said. “We have to get prepared for the new arrivals,” Murad Ali Shah said.

Secretary to CM Sindh Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Health, doctors from private hospitals and other health officials attended the task force meeting