PM Imran Khan has announced that the current lockdown in the country will remain in place for another two weeks to curtail the spread of Covid-19.
“It was thanks to the lockdowns that the virus’s spread in the country was contained and the pandemic didn’t reach the projected numbers,” he said while talking about the govt’s response to the pandemic.
Some businesses, however, have been given exemption and allowed to resume operations during the extended lockdown.
These include chemical plants, e-commerce (for delivery), software development firms, paper packaging firms, cement fertilizer plants, laundries, nursing plants, agriculture machinery & products, glass manufacturing, veterinary hospitals, export industries (with SOPs), books & stationery shops, and construction industry (with SOPs).
The businesses/industries that will remain shut during the extended lockdown include shopping malls, cinemas/theaters, parks/recreational facilities, restaurants, and wholesale markets with the exception of food, medicine construction industry-related markets.
Provinces will have the prerogative to allow or disallow resumption of small businesses like those of electricians, tailors, mechanics, and barbers etc.
Lockdown restrictions on mosques to end today: Mufti Muneeb
Lockdown restrictions on mosques to end today: Mufti Muneeb
Ulema from various schools of thought held a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday to declare that the lockdown will not be in force from mosques from today.
Mufti Muneeb ur Rahman said that Tarawih prayers and Itikaf will continue as per schedule. He called on people coming to mosques to practice social distancing.
The cleric urged the government to not arrest people coming to mosques. “All those who have been arrested [for coming to mosques] should be released,” he said.
He called on worshippers coming to the mosques to wear masks and perform wuzu at their respective homes. “Remove mats from mosques and ensure sanitizers are available,” he said.
Mufti Taqi Usmani said that people were not implementing the government’s guidelines pertaining to offering prayers in mosques by no more than five persons. He called on people to implement the government’s safety precautions but said that for a Muslim, offering congregational prayers in Ramazan was obligatory.
List of industries/businesses not allowed to operate during the extended lockdown
Below is the list of industries/businesses that will not be allowed to operate during the extended lockdown.
- Shopping malls
- Cinemas/theaters
- Parks/recreational facilities
- Restaurants
- Wholesale markets except:
- Food market
- Medicine market
- Other markets related to construction industry
Opening of following businesses to be a prerogative of provincial govts.
- Electricians
- Tailors
- Mechanics
- Barbers
- Etc.
List of industries that will be allowed to operate during the lockdown
The govt has identified the low-risk industries and businesses that will be able to operate during the national lockdown that has now been extended for another two weeks.
These industries, as listed by the Minister for Industries Hammad Azhar, include the following:
- Chemical plants
- E-commerce for delivery etc.
- Software developing firms
- Paper packaging firms
- Cement fertilizer plants
- Laundry etc.
- Nursing plants
- Agriculture machinery
- Agriculture products
- Glass manufacturing
- Animal hospitals
- Export industries with SOPs
- Books and stationery shops
- Construction industry with SOPs
Govt extends countrywide lockdown to April 30
The federal cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved the extension of country-wide lockdown to April 30, media reports claim. The decision is based on data, which suggests a spike in positive coronavirus cases in various parts of the country.
So far, more than 5,800 people have tested positive across the country, with Punjab reporting the most, 2815, cases so far. Punjab is also ahead of the rest in terms of testing, conducting up to 5,000 tests on a daily basis.
According to media reports, a summary of the approval has been forwarded to the National Coordination Committee (NCC), for final approval. The committee meeting, to be convened today under PM Khan, will decide whether to endorse the full lockdown or to ease out the restrictions in less-affected areas.