NCOC directs public, private offices to implement 50% 'work-from-home' policy
November 06, 2020
In a bid to control the spike in COVID-19 cases, the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) on Friday directed public and private companies to implement a 50% “work from home” policy.
The NCOC also banned indoor weddings and allowed upto 1,000 guests in outdoor functions. The notification said major cities with a high positivity rate and higher disease spread potential will be asked to enforce the ban.
The rule pertains to Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Hyderabad, Gilgit, Muzzafarabad, Mirpur, Peshawar, Quetta, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, and Abbottabad.
The decision will go into effect from November 20, 2020.
Furthermore, beginning tomorrow (November 7), the NCOC has directed the implementation of a "Gilgit-Baltistan model" whereby face masks must be made compulsory in the aforementioned cities.
In GB, failure to do so results in a penalty of Rs100 and three masks issued on the spot. Authorities have been advised to issue similar penalties in these locations.
In areas identified as hotspots, relatively broader smart lockdowns have also been recommended.
Read more: Thinking of stepping out in Karachi without a mask? Think again
Existing wedding hall restrictions
Last month, NCOC said that it has observed wedding halls and indoor restaurants to be "high contributors" to the spread of the contagious disease.
Following the observation, on October 9, the body issued new guidelines for wedding halls, saying that it is officially restricting the number of guests and limiting functions till 10pm.
For indoor events, a maximum of 300 guests has been allowed and for outdoor events, a maximum of 500 guests, with the gathering to only last 2 hours.
Shut down timings
The NCOC has already warned business owners to shut down before or by 10pm, in view of the rising positivity ratio in major cities of Pakistan.
The decision pertains to:
- Restaurants
- Wedding halls
- Commercial markets
- Shopping malls
Recreational spots, such as amusement and public parks, have been asked to shut down by 6pm.
Essential services such as medical stores, clinics and hospitals will remain open.
Uptick in cases
Pakistan has seen a steady rise in cases in the last five days, with more than 1,000 new infections each day.
The country recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases since July 24 in the last 24 hours when 1,376 cases were reported by the national dashboard. On July 24, a high of 1,487 was reported, following which a steady decline in cases had been witnessed.
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