NCOC Announces Stricter COVID Restrictions For 27 cities

NCOC announces stricter Covid restrictions for 27 cities.

The decision was taken as the fourth wave of the coronavirus continues to rage across Pakistan due to the presence of the Delta variant and the pressure on the healthcare system is increasing.

The 27 cities to go under stricter SOPs are as following: 

Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan Khanewal, Mianwali, Sargodha, Khushab, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, and Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab;

Peshawar,  Abbottabad, Swat, Haripur, Mansehra, Lower Dir, Swabi, Swat, and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa;

Karachi and Hyderabad in Sindh;

Islamabad; Muzaffarabad and Mirpur in Azad Kashmir;

Gilgit and Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan.

On Aug 2, NCOC had revised its SOPs for 13 cities and today 14 more cities have been added to the list.

While NCOC will conduct a review of the SOPs on September 13. 

As per the notification issued by NCOC on Sunday, the following restrictions will be implemented in the above-mentioned cities:

• All commercial activities — except essential services — to be closed at 8 pm
• Two days in a week to be observed as safe days with provinces free to choose
• Ban on indoor dining; outdoor dining allowed (till 10 pm), takeaway and delivery will continue
• Ban on indoor wedding ceremonies; outdoor wedding ceremonies with 300 guests allowed (till 10 pm)
• Ban on visiting shrines
• Cinemas to remain closed
• Contact sports to remain banned; indoor gyms allowed for vaccinated individuals
• Normal working hours for public and private offices with 50 percent staff attendance
• Public transport to operate with 50pc occupancy; rail services to operate with 70pc
• Amusement parks and swimming pools will remain closed; entry to public parks allowed subject to compliance with Covid-19 standard operating procedures
• Educational institutions across the country to remain open for three days a week with 50pc attendance