The Sindh government will end its nine-day coronavirus lockdown on August 9, the National Command and Operations Centre announced on Saturday, as it praised the province’s efforts to curb the pandemic.
A statement was issued by NCOC following a joint session which was chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, and attended by Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, Gen Hamood and other team members from NCOC.
The coronavirus situation in Sindh, particularly in Karachi, “was discussed at length”, according to the statement.
It said that a need for “better coordination” and an “enhanced interaction at all levels” was emphasised.
It was decided that Sindh would follow the non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI)- based guidelines the forum had announced for 13 high infection rate cities earlier this week, which include Karachi and Hyderabad.
The matter of the reopening of Sindh’s schools and leftover exams will be discussed in the upcoming meeting of the Inter Provincial Education Ministerial Conference (IPEMC).
The forum also recognised the need for a special emphasis on the implementation of safety precautions in view of Muharram and when the lockdown is lifted on August 9.
It was decided that “smart lockdowns” in high disease prevalence areas will be enforced to curb the spread of the virus.
