Coronavirus: Sindh extends ban on wedding functions till May 16

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Tuesday announced it was extending coronavirus restrictions in the province, including a complete ban on wedding functions, will May 16, 2021.

According to the latest notification from the Home Department of the Government of Sindh, "Broader Lockdowns" will be imposed in areas with 8% coronavirus positivity ratios.

The provincial government has also said the ban on indoor dining will continue to be observed while outdoor dining will be allowed but till 10pm.

It said all business and commercial activities will begin at 6:00am and will close by 8:00pm, in light of the surging cases of the coronavirus.

Here are the important points mentioned in the notification:

• Broader lockdowns, in areas with more than 8% positivity ratio.
• Restaurants — No indoor dining. Outdoor dining till 10:00pm and thereafter only takeaway/home delivery services will be allowed.
• All commercial/business timings e.g. Markets, Shopping Malls, Marriage Halls, etc will remain open from 06:00 to 20:00 hours with observance of two "safe days" (FRIDAY & SUNDAY) per week (except essential services).
• All gatherings (indoor as well as outdoor) including social, cultural, political, sports. musical, religious festivals or miscellaneous events are completely banned.
• Complete closure of cinemas, shrines and amusement parks
• Complete ban on marriage functions, both indoor and outdoor.
• Work from home - 50% of the staff in all public/private sector offices. h) Intercity public transport to operate at 50% of capacity with strict compliance of coronavirus SOPs.
• Compulsory wearing of masks and practicing social distancing will be observed at all government/private offices and public places.
• The situation of the coronavirus pandemic will be reviewed by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on May 6, 2021.

Sindh bans wedding functions

The Sindh government had banned all marriage functions — both indoors and outdoors — with effect from April 6, and introduced a new set of coronavirus restrictions till April 11, last month.

The provincial government had sprung into action as the third wave of the coronavirus intensifies and over four thousands cases were reported on a daily basis across the country.