Asad Umar announced lockdown relaxations in Business, Transportation, restaurants, Tourism and others, When COVID-19 fell in Pakistan, the government decided on Thursday to allow more sectors to resume normal operations next week. Planning Minister Asad Umar said standard operating procedures (SOPs) for each sector will be discontinued soon.
After a meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCOC), he spoke to the media and congratulated the country for limiting the spread of COVID-19. The government has decided to reopen tourist attractions from August 8 (Saturday).
Many of these areas are highly dependent on tourists' income and we are aware of the difficulties they face," he said. Prime Minister Imran Khan has been aiming to reopen the sector since June, but was pulled out due to opposition from provincial governments, who believed it was too early to allow violent movements of people at this stage of the pandemic.
کورونا پر قومی رابطہ کمیٹی اجلاس۔ https://t.co/qPhtp7EgIh
— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) August 6, 2020
Here is a list of dates on which various companies and institutions can be reopened:
- Educational institutions: September 15, subject to revision on September 7
- Hotels in tourist destinations: August 8
- Restaurants and cafes (dinner): August 10
- Cinemas and theaters: August 10
- Public points: August 10
- Fitness centers: August 10
- Wedding halls: open until September 15
Read Also: Govt to ease in lockdown gradually
Restaurants
The Planning Minister revealed to other sectors that NCC had decided to lift the restrictions on restaurants and cafes that employ a large number of people and suffer from their closures as a result of COVID. "We have decided to resume all indoor and outdoor restaurants and cafes on August 10 (Monday)," he said, adding that the SOPs will be operational in a few days.
Recreation
Umar said the government had also decided to resume all gyms, salons, beauty parlors, amusement parks, public parks, arcades, museums and cinemas on August 10, adding SOPs within days. He said sports freedom without contact can also organize tournaments, provided they don't have an audience in stadiums.
Businesses
According to the Planning Minister, all markets and companies could return to their opening hours before March. "Every city and county has its own weekly leisure and opening times [for markets], and these have been restored [before COVID]," he said. Business and exhibition centers could return to normal operation from Aug. 10, he added.
He said that all airlines and railways should resume normal operations in cities across the country. “They had two limitations: how many flights and trains could be driven and how many places could they travel?
These restrictions will lapse, "he said, adding that they can travel freely anywhere in the country. "Social distance restrictions [for transportation] will continue until the end of September," he said.
Likewise, Umar said that cornering was allowed again and that traffic restrictions had also been relaxed.
Shrines
The Planning Minister said that religious shrines could be reopened to the public, but added that in the event of an event, a large crowd, such as B. urs, would need permission from the responsible provincial government.
Railways and Airlines operations
Minister said as of now there is no restrictions on the airlines and Railways for the specific trains stations and airport's, All airlines are allowed to resume the operations across the country.
As earlier there was only 4 mega airports was allowed for the flights operations and 34 trains for the specific stop overs. All existing SOPs will be remained entitled, he added.
Reopens again in September
Sectors that remain closed until September include educational institutions that Umar says will be allowed to temporarily resume activities from September 15. "This decision will be reviewed in a final session on September 7.
Asad umar said, adding that both the Department of Education and Health has worked closely together to approve SOPs for this sector. "We have seen the impact of reopening schools in other countries," he said, noting that the government had learned from these experiences.
The maternity wards may be reopened from Sept. 15, Umar said, adding that the government may have delayed resumption of normal operations to monitor the spread of COVID-19 after each posting.
Still it is not END
Umar ended his press release stating that while the government had decided to reopen all sectors, this did not mean the COVID-19 threat was over. "We see peaks all over the world where they brought the pandemic under control.
Asad Umar said. "The threat continues … if we become complacent, chances are the situation will deteriorate again," he warned, adding that the government should reconsider normal operations.
“The sectors we are opening now are the sectors most at risk of spreading COVID-19. That's why they open again so late, ”he said, urging the public to always be on the safe side.
