Provincial governments relax virus lockdown, allow small markets to reopen
May 11, 2020
KARACHI: The lockdown imposed to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus across Pakistan since mid-March on Monday began to ease, with small markets and shops in the country allowed to reopen from 8am in the morning till 5pm in the evening.
The governments of the four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the administration of the federal territories had on Sunday decided to ease the restrictions and allow select shops and businesses to resume operations after a more than a month-long hiatus.
According to reports, shops in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh will remain open from morning till 5pm, while those in Balochistan will remain open till 4pm. Strict standard operating procedures have been issued by the provincial governments as business activities resume.
Hair dressers, beauty parours, gyms and other places of public gathering will continue to remain closed until further notice. The provincial governments have also annoucned plans to take action against shopkeepers not following virus protocols.
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Sindh government relaxes virus lockdown
Small markets were allowed to re-open as the Sindh government on Sunday relaxed a virus lockdown imposed to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, The News reported on Monday.
The decision was announced by Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah after he met representatives of different trade organisations at the auditorium in the Sindh Assembly on Sunday afternoon.
According to the report in The News, small markets and shops were allowed to reopen and given a list of preventive procedures that should be followed to limit the spread of the virus across the province.
Small markets to reopen for four days a week
The home department of the provincial government also issued a notification in this regard. Even though some businesses were allowed to reopen, some form of a lockdown will remain in place will end of May.
The Sindh government, according to the notification, allowed retail shops to resume business from 6am till 4pm for four days a week. These shops would not be allowed to open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The construction industry was also allowed to resume business that relates to pipe mills (PVC and steel), electrical cable and switchgear manufacturing, and steel/aluminium manufacturing, among others.
Traders welcome call for resumption of business
In his meeting with traders on Sunday, CM Shah stressed that shopping malls, plazas, educational institutions, and other offices had still not been cleared for opening amid the ease in restrictions.
Restaurants, hotels, marquees, marriage halls, cinemas and places of large gatherings, public processions, gatherings, congregations of all nature and organized sports events and concerts are still closed.
The traders appreciated the chief minister and received the announcement with claps and cheers. CM Shah told traders that he was talking to the federal government to offer them small loans.
'Lockdown has produced good results'
“We are working on a plan to steer the business community out of the crisis. I am well aware that the small traders are passing through a very serious situation because their businesses have been closed," he said.
“I know your [traders] position, but I have one option, either to save lives of our people or allow the business activities thriving at the cost of our lives,” the chief minister told the traders.
He went on saying that the lockdown had produced good results, which was also acknowledged by the traders community. "It was not a unilateral decision to impose the lockdown," he remarked.
Originally published in The News
