Coronavirus Chaos: Sindh Goes Into Lockdown for 15 Days

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Sindh on Sunday announced a 15-day lockdown in Sindh in a bid to fight the deadly coronavirus pandemic. The lockdown started at midnight.

Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah shared the details of the lockdown in a video message earlier today instead of a live press conference. Therefore, the Sindh government’s home department also shared a notice with details of the lockdown.

Check Out: Parhlo Live blog on COVID-19

According to it, “there shall be a complete ban on movement of people including Intercity or Interprovincial travel or gatherings of any kind for social, religious, or any other purpose at any place, public or private, including all offices, public or private situated within the territorial limits of the province of Sindh.”

However, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah maintained that strict decisions are being taken after the consultation of all political parties, stakeholders and concerned departments for the safety of people.

Who have been exempted?

Certain personnel have been exempted from the lockdown, which included:

  1. Health services
  2. Law enforcement agencies
  3. Those in need of medical care with an attendant where necessary
  4. Person going to buy groceries and medicines
  5. Necessary/unavoidable religious rites
  6. Any exemption deemed necessary by the government

Meanwhile, those who are exempted will be allowed to:

  1. Travel in single numbers
  2. One person per family may go out to buy essential medicine, groceries etc with a driver only in the case of the elderly or handicapped
  3. Person on vehicles carrying essential food items
  4. Persons exempted to carry CNIC; should maintain social distance and take safety precautions

Check out: Practice Self-Quarantine Lockdown Is Not An Option, Says PM Khan

Similarly, essential services exempt from the ban on movement are:

  1. health and related services
  2. food and related industry/manufacturers
  3. grocery stores, general and convenience stores
  4. fish, meat, vegetable/fruit vendors and dairy shops
  5. essential municipal services
  6. electricity and SSGC
  7. water supply
  8. port operations, PNSC and custom services
  9. PTA/PTCL/NTC service staff
  10. cellular companies service staff for repair maintenance of towers/cables
  11. banks (with limited staff for services)
  12. petrol pumps
  13. welfare organisations
  14. media persons authorised by information department, newspaper hawkers and
  15. any other class deemed essential

According to the notification, if anyone violated the orders, he or she will be punishable under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has also sought the Pakistan army’s help to deal with COVID-19.

Decision lauded

Amid increasing calls for a countrywide lockdown which Prime Minister Imran Khan has rejected, the decision of the Sindh government to close the province was appreciated by the experts and locals.

 

 

And, Karachi gets into the lockdown mood because the fight against coronavirus has just started.

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