Skip to main content

Lockdown restrictions in Sindh to remain until end of Ramazan: spokesperson

A lockdown imposed with certain exemptions to curb the spread of the coronavirus in Sindh will remain in place until the end of Ramazan, Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab clarified on Thursday.

Speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath, Wahab said the Sindh Home Department had issued a notification on April 23 stating that the restrictions imposed and exemptions given to some sectors will remain in place until the end of Ramazan.

"That notification remains in the field and no decision has been taken to withdraw it," he said.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah's spokesperson Rasheed Channa also confirmed that the restrictions will remain in place until the end of Ramazan, saying the April 23 order contained within it the restrictions and exemptions announced earlier in the April 14 order.

Wahab said the provincial government had allowed traders to conduct business through online and home delivery services. "We hope the traders will abide by the SOPs and the instructions issued by the government will be followed," he added.

Asked about Prime Minister Imran Khan's reported comments that a complete lockdown was announced by "elite rulers" without concern for the poor, Wahab said: "I think the prime minister is a victim of confusion himself or wants to confuse the people."

He said the federal cabinet itself had taken the decision to extend the countrywide lockdown until May 9.

Wahab said the prime minister was "questioning his own ability to make decisions" by suggesting that the decision to impose the restrictions was taken by someone else. He said the decisions were, in fact, taken after consulting all provincial authorities.

"The situation in Sindh is very dangerous; we have had 12 deaths [over the last 24 hours]," the spokesperson said, adding that the reason there has not been pressure on hospitals in the province is that the Sindh government had enforced the lockdown, and "the positive signs of that can be seen now".

Nevertheless, he emphasised the need to not be "complacent" with the positive signs and continue the restrictions, saying "even a single life is very important for us".



from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/2VTvo7F
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Trump says he urged team to ‘slow’ COVID-19 testing

US President Donald Trump said Saturday he was encouraging health officials in his administration to slow down coronavirus testing, arguing that increased tests lead to more cases being discovered. The president has claimed falsely on several occasions that surges of COVID-19 in several states can be explained by greater numbers of diagnostic tests. At his first rally since the outbreak forced nationwide shutdowns in March, Trump told the crowd in Tulsa, Oklahoma that testing was a “double-edged sword.” The United States — which has more deaths and cases than any other country — has carried out more than 25 million coronavirus tests, placing it outside the top 20 countries in the world, per capita. “Here is the bad part: When you do testing to that extent, you are going to find more people, you will find more cases,” Trump argued. “So I said to my people ‘slow the testing down.’ They test and they test.” It was not clear from Trump’s tone if he was playing to the crowd, who ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Rouhani calls Imran, discusses resumption of trade

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran on Wednesday discussed full resumption of bilateral trade, which was halted last month because of the Covid-19 pandemic. “The two sides stressed the need to reactivate borders and border markets and strengthen trade ties by following health guidelines,” a statement issued by the Iranian presidency on the telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Dr Hassan Rouhani said. President Rouhani had called the prime minister for Ramazan greetings. Border trade between the two countries was suspended after a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC), held on March 13, decided to close all borders because of the pandemic. Islamabad partially relaxed the restrictions on April 21, allowing the import of certain food items and provision of petrol and diesel to the border areas. Cargo traffic from Iran was allowed for three days every week. Cargo movement between the two countries takes place through five border crossings — Taftan...
Post a Comment
Read more

Today’s outlook: Sindh CM discusses reopening markets with PM Khan

Here are some of the stories we are expecting to follow today (Thursday): Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah will take Prime Minister Imran Khan into confidence over reopening shops and markets across the province. The reopened markets will have to follow SOPs. Sindh Transport Minister Awais Qadir Shah will discuss SOPs with transporters for resuming public transport in the coming days. The meeting will be held at the Sindh Assembly building at 1:30pm. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority has proposed a price cut of Rs20.68 per litre for petrol in its summary. Imam-e-Kaaba Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais has said Masjid Al Haram and Masjid Al Nabawi will be reopened for worshipers soon. He said the Kaaba is being sterilised using latest technologies. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar will head various meetings during his visit to Bahawalpur. As of Thursday, Pakistan has reported more than 15,500 confirmed coronavirus cases. ICYMI: An amendment to the National Accountability Or...
Post a Comment
Read more