F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Wednesday after detailed review of disease prevalence in the country and corresponding NPIs decided revival of tourism sector among other restricted sectors with stringent Covid-19 protocols.
The Forum made extensive deliberations with all stakeholders and took important decisions regarding non-pharmaceutical interventions or NPIs after opening of various sectors from 24th May. The Forum decided that outdoor restaurants or dining would be opened daily till 23:59 hours whereas takeaways to be allowed 24/7.
It also decided opening of tourism sector under stringent COVID Protocols.
owever, separate instructions on protocols were being issued to all federating units. The Forum also reviewed restrictions being imposed on Education sector and decided that staggered opening of education institutes would be made in districts with less than 5 percent positivity.
Moreover, the Forum keeping in view the disease spread risk decided to open certain sectors from 1st June with subject to a prior review on 27th May.
The Forum permitted outdoor marriage ceremonies with maximum number of 150 individuals to be allowed to attend the ceremony. The Forum also gave its consent for staggered opening of education sector from 7th June which included institutes other than those opened from 24th May.
The Forum also decided to maintain closures of Shrines, Cinemas, Indoor Dining, Indoor Gyms, Amusement Parks however, walking and jogging tracks would remain open with strict adherence of COVID standard operating procedures (SOPs) till further review. The Forum maintained that there would be a complete ban on contact sports, festivals, cultural and other events creating large gatherings and close human contact resulting increased risk of virus infection and transmissibility.
There would also be ban on all types of indoor and outdoor gatherings including cultural, musical, religious and miscellaneous events to limit disease spread.
Furthermore, there was also ban on inter-provincial public transport for two closed days of Saturday and Sunday with effect from 22 May, the NCOC decided in its daily session. The Forum also made certain miscellaneous decisions mainly compliance to compulsory mask wearing while incorporating innovative measures for enforcement. The Forum also decided that implementation of broader lockdowns to be implemented with stringent enforcement protocols based on risk assessment. It decided that there would be continuation of current in-bound and Land Border policy till further orders. The Forum allowed to re-open Gadani and Misri Shah Industrial units from 20 May whereas elective surgeries to be reopened from 1st June. The NCOC in it’s session also decided that all secondary and higher secondary school certificates (SSC & HSSC respectively) examinations would be held after 20 June whereas, conduct of all professional and Non-Professional exams to take place on case-to-case basis as recommended by Ministry of Education.
The sectors already allowed on 17th May comprised of resumption of normal Office working hours with 50 percent strength (50 percent Work from Home), resumption of Market activities with closure by 08:00 pm also less essential services including export related sector.
However, it had also decided that public transport with 50 percent capacity, railways to operate with 70 percent occupancy.
The Forum resolved that two days as closed days during a week would be enforced where a detailed review of NPIs would be carried out on 27th May and 7th June respectively.
The Forum informed that a critical monitoring of disease prevalence and Critical Health Care System was being carried out on daily basis, and necessary steps would be taken accordingly, whenever deem appropriate to control the disease spread.
The NCOC session was held here under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar and Co-chaired by Lieutenant General Hamood uz Zaman Khan.
SAPM Health Dr Faisal Sultan also participated the session where Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechohu and Chief Secretaries of all Federating Units attended the session via video link.
