Dailynewsun Report:
The government has issued 18-point directive to contain the sharp rise of COVID-19 cases in the country. A gazette notification, signed by Prime Minister’s principal secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, was issued on Monday comprising the directives.
The directives are as follows:
1. All kinds of public gatherings, including social, political, religious have to be limited in all places and no gatherings will be allowed in areas of higher transmission of coronavirus.
2. Compliance with health rules has to be ensured in mosques and other places of worship.
3. Gatherings have to be limited in tourist attractions and entertainment venues, cinema and theatre halls. Arrangement of all kinds of fairs and exhibitions has to be discouraged.
4. Public transports cannot carry passengers over 50 percent of their capacity and have to follow Covid-19 health codes.
5. Inter-district transport movement have to be limited to areas with higher infections of the virus. If necessary, transport movements have to be stopped to halt the spread of the deadly virus.
6. Incoming passengers from abroad have to remain in quarantine for 14 days in hotels at their own expenses.
7. Purchase and sale of daily essentials have to take place in open spaces, maintaining proper health rules. Health codes also have to be maintained properly in pharmacy shops.
8. Health guidelines including wearing masks must be followed in healthcare service institutions.
9. Health instructions must be maintained by sellers-byers at all shopping malls.
10. All educational institutions including primary, secondary, higher secondary, universities, madrasas and coaching centres will remain closed. Both sellers and buyers at shopping malls must follow health rules.
11. Going out after 10pm without any emergency would be avoided and non-essential movements must be stopped.
12. Legal action will be taken if mask is not worn and other health rules are violated while travelling.
13. Patients with COVID-19 symptoms have to stay in isolation. Persons in close contact with patients will have to be quarantined as well.
14. All government and private offices, establishments and factories should be managed by 50 percent of the manpower except emergency services. Pregnant and ill officials or those aged above 55 have to perform official duties staying at home.
15. Meetings, seminars, trainings and workshops must be arranged online.
16. Proper health codes must be ensured in any type of public examinations with physical presence mandatory.
17. Hotels and restaurants can serve only up to 50 percent of the customers they can accommodate.
18. It is compulsory to wear masks properly and ensure all necessary health rules at workplaces.
The directives will be effective immediately and remain in force for two weeks until further instructions, the gazette notification reads.
All relevant ministries, departments, directorates and agencies will take all necessary measures to implement the guidelines to stop recent rise of coronavirus in the country.
