ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Sunday extended COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) to 27 cities across the country with higher disease prevalence and healthcare occupancy due to rising number of infections.
The NCOC made the decision to continue implementation of COVID-19 SOPs in view of current pandemic situation and increasing pressure on Covid dedicated healthcare facilities.
Earlier these SOPs were implemented in 13 cities of the country having high positivity ratio and disease spread.
The 27 cities to ensure strict enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions and SOPs included Islamabad, 11cities of Punjab (Khanewal, Mianwali, Sargodha, Khushab, Bahawalpur, Multan, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Rahim Yar Khan).
It also included Hyderabad and Karachi in Sindh, Muzaffarabad and Mirpur in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit and Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan, whereas the cities from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were Peshawar, Swat, Haripur, Mansehra, Lower Dir, Swabi, Abbottabad, Swat, and Chitral Lower.
The COVID-19 SOPs to be enforced noted that all commercial activities (except essential services) to be closed at 8 p.m. Moreover, all markets would be closed two days a week whereas the determination of off days would be at the discretion of the provinces.
The restrictions on indoor dining in restaurants would be maintained while outdoor dining to be allowed at 10:00 pm. However, the takeaway service would remain open 24 hours a day.
The SOPs underscored that there would be a complete ban on indoor wedding ceremonies whereas outdoor wedding ceremonies with 300 guests would be permissible which would be until 10:00 p.m.
Furthermore, devotee visits to the shrine would continue to be banned alongwith restrictions to cinemas to be maintained. The ban on contact sports like karate, boxing, martial arts, rugby, water polo, kabaddi and wrestling would continue to be banned. “Only vaccinated people will be able to go to the indoor gym,” it added.
In order to contain disease spread, normal office hours for public and private offices would continue with 50 percent strength in their premises. The restrictions also included that public transport would operate on 50 percent while rail service will continue with 70 percent passengers capacity.
Amusement parks and swimming pools would remain closed whereas public to be allowed to enter public parks with COVID-19 protocols, it said.
The education sector was allowed to operate with COVID-19 SOPs as the Forum decided that educational institutions across the country would be opened three days a week with 50% strength and on staggered basis. The Forum would review its implemented SOPs on September 13.
