The government of Sindh on Wednesday announced an extension in the "smart" lockdown imposed across the province, till July 15.
A notification issued in this regard said the decision was taken "in continuation of the order of even number dated 1 June, 2020 and for the same reasons recorded therein the Government of Sindh, in exercise of powers under Section 3(1) of the Sindh Epidemic Diseases Act, 2014 (The Sindh Act VIII of 2015)".
The province had announced on June 1 that following a meeting of the National Coordination Committee, it had been decided that economic activities must be opened and a focus on compliance of SOPs must be ensured while such economic activities are undertaken.
In today's notification, therefore, the selective lockdown has been extended for two more weeks, with the following places to remain closed and activities prohibited:
i. Educational training institutes
ii. Marriage halls, business centres, expo halls
iii. All contact sports, indoor sports clubs, indoor gyms and sports facilities
iv. Sporting tournaments, indoor and outdoor
v. Restaurants, cafés excluding takeaway and home delivery
vi. Theme parks, amusement parks and arcades
vii. Beauty parlours and spas
viii. Cinemas and theatres
ix. Public processions/gathering of all nature, shrines
x. Tourism/tourist hotels
xi. Inter-provincial transport
Intercity transport shall be opened "keeping in view petition by transporters in Honourable High Court of Sindh" but not inter-provincial public transport.
"The provincial government and district administration, by an order, may restrict all/any activity in areas which are the hotspots for the spread of COVID-19," the notification added.
In this period, operational days/hours for businesses shall be as under:
- Business timings except pharmacies and essential services — Five days per week (Monday-Friday) from Morning to Maghreb (6am to 7pm).
- Restaurants and cafes, etc — All days of the week (closed for customer dine-in and only take away and home delivery allowed) as follows:
i) Take away and home delivery (6am to 7pm)
ii) Home delivery only (7pm to 1am)
The notification has reminded everyone that "the threat of [COVID-19] spread has not subsided, rather increased and stricter adherence to SOPs is required than ever before".
In this regard, people are instructed to:
i. Avoid coming out of houses from 7pm to 6am
ii. Wear a face mask when coming out to any public place
iii. Keep a distance of over 3 feet between persons at all times
iv. Was your hands frequently or use proper hand sanitiser
v. Strictly adhere to distancing protocols while travelling by any transport
vi. Strictly adhere to SOPs at offices/workplaces
vii. Strictly adhere to all SOPs issued by the provincial and federal governments from time to time
