No decision made to relax or tighten lockdown in Sindh: info minister

Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said on Wednesday that no new decision had been made so far to relax or tighten the lockdown in the province, reported The News.

The provincial minister said the Sindh government was reviewing the situation, adding that the federal government would be consulted before any new decision on the lockdown was taken.

He said shopkeepers should open their shops following the standard operating procedures earlier issued by the Sindh government and take all precautions.

Shah added the coronavirus was still “present among us” and if we were careless, we could suffer huge losses. "It is better that we take all precautionary measures and not leave our homes unnecessarily," the minister said.

"No vaccine for the coronavirus has been invented so far, the only way to avoid it is to take precautions," he added. The provincial minister said that by taking precautions “we will protect not only ourselves but our loved ones as well”.

He asked the people not to pay attention to rumours, adding that whatever decision would be taken on the lockdown would be formally announced. The minister said the government alone could not fight the pandemic, and that the cooperation of the people was very important in this regard. "The more people cooperate, the more we will be able to protect ourselves during this pandemic," he said.

The provincial minister said the Sindh transport minister was in talks with transporters and their problems would be resolved soon. The minister said that the Sindh government was aware of the problems of the business community, including the transporters, but the situation had become such that it was impossible to open everything at once.

He added that as the situation improved, relief would be provided to the businessmen and the public.

Originally published in The News