The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) on Wednesday has proposed multiple recommendations to ease lockdown restrictions in the country which were imposed to curb spread of the coronavirus.
The recommendations were made during Committee meeting chaired by Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Asad Umar in Islamabad.
The federal government has agreed to ease the countrywide lockdown from May 9. Do you agree with the decision?
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) May 6, 2020
The recommendations include opening of inter-provincial transportation with proper implementation of SOPs, opening phase-II of the construction sector, reopening of retail outlets and operationalization of selective outpatient departments in Islamabad.
The participants of meeting proposed to enhance shops timings from 9am to 5pm and then 8pm to 10pm.
Read more: Govt decides to ease lockdown from May 9 as PM donates salary
They also decided to bring no change in the SOPs for the religious congregations in the second half of the holy month of Ramazan.
On the other hand, the Federal Cabinet on Tuesday approved easing of lockdown and restrictions imposed in the country to stem the spread of coronavirus from May 9.
The final decision regarding lockdown would be taken in the meeting of National Command and Control Centre on May 6 (Wednesday), Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said while briefing the media about the decisions made in the cabinet meeting regarding lockdown chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Shibli Faraz said Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar gave a comprehensive briefing about lockdown to the cabinet over the coronavirus situation in the country. It was informed that Pakistan’s situation was far better than that of many developed countries, therefore, the decision to ease lockdown has been taken.
Coronavirus cases on rise in Pakistan
The number of novel coronavirus cases in Pakistan, the second worst-hit country in the region after India, has risen to 21,501 with 1,315 new cases reported over the past 24 hours, the country’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
Another 24 patients died due to the virus across the country in a day, raising the toll to 486. Some 5,782 have recovered so far. A bulk of the cases have been reported from northeastern Punjab and southern Sindh provinces.
Read more: Pakistan: Is lockdown best strategy to contain COVID-19
Since first appearing in Wuhan, China last December, the novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 187 countries and regions, with the US and Europe the hardest-hit areas.
More than 3.58 million cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll surpassing 251,500 and nearly 1.17 million recoveries, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University in the US.
Online Int’l News with additional input by GVS News Desk