KARACHI, Aug 08 (APP):The Provincial Task Force on coronavirus, Sindh has decided to reopen educational, business and social activities all over the Sindh from September 15, and the provincial government, once again review the situation in the first week of next month to go ahead with the plan.
The meeting was held here on Saturday with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in the chair, said a statement.
The meeting was attended by Provincial ministers, Dr Azra Pechuho, Saeed Ghani, Mukesh Chawla, Nasir Shah and Murtaza Wahab, Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IG Sindh Mushtaq Maher, PSCM Sajid jamal Abro, ACS Home Usman Chachar, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani, Secretary Health kazim Jatoi, deputy DG Rangers, Brigadier Hussain Masud of Corps-5, Commander Rizan of Pak Navy, Dr Aziz, Dr Faisal, Mushtaq Chhapra, Ayaz Soomro of Unicef, Dr Sara of WHO and others.
At the outset of the meeting, the chief minister said that just after CCI meeting, the NCC meeting was also organized in Islamabad on August 6 that decided to reopen all business activities, including education institutions and others from September 15. However, it was decided that the provincial governments would review the situation in their task force meetings to take final decisions.
Sindh Minister Health Dr Azra Pechuho told the meeting that the coronavirus situation has improved and the number of new cases has started declining.
At this the CM Sindh said that during the last 30 days cases have dropped down and added that on July 8, 1782 new cases were reported and on every successive day the number went dropping down and finally on August 7, 2020 the 487 new cases were reported.
“This doesn’t mean that coronavirus has been eliminated or contained but it teaches us that the virus still exists and we have to learn how to live with it until its vaccine is prepared,” he said.
Secretary Health Kazim Jatoi read out the key recommendations released by World Health Organization (WHO) and said share best practices, apply lessons learned from countries that are successfully reopening social activities, including business, schools and other services and mitigating resurgence of COVID-19.
The chief minister decided that the COVID-19 hospitals established at NIPA and University Road would continue to function but they would be strengthened further, however, he directed minister health to review the requirement of Field Isolation center at Expo Center.
“If you want to continue with the facilities please go ahead otherwise it may be closed and its equipment may be shifted where they are required,” he said.
The chief minister sought the opinion of leading doctors in the meeting about opening of the social, educational and business activities and they supported opening them but under strict SOPs.
The chief minister taking a policy decision said that the business activities would be allowed to function up to 9 pm while the restaurants would be allowed to operate up to 9 pm. “This may be enhanced on weekends,” he said and added that we have to change our behaviours by starting day early in the morning and ending latest by 10 pm.
Syed Murad Ali Shah said that in the first week of September we would sit again to review the situation and decide the opening of the social, business and educational activities. “Once it is allowed the home department would issue notification of the opening of the activities and announce SOPs,” he said.
He thanked all the members of the taskforce for their valuable input under which decisions were taken. “Our decisions were so accurate and workable that other provinces followed them,” he said and added “In Sha Allah” we will take final decisions of opening the activities together”.
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