Shut down primary schools, Sindh health dept suggests as coronavirus cases rise

• Sindh health dept suggests sealing marriage halls, restaurants, and cattle markets if found flouting coronavirus protocols. 
• Sindh chief secretary suggests banning indoor dining, shutting down primary schools, and keeping businesses closed twice a week.
• Proposals of the Sindh Health Department to be presented in the meeting of the coronavirus task force.

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As coronavirus cases continue to rise in the province, with the positivity ratio exceeding 14% in Karachi alone on Monday, the Sindh Health Department has suggested that primary schools should be shut down in the province to contain further spread of the virus.

The suggestion was put forward during a coronavirus review meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah.

During the meeting, several other suggestions were made by the health department to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the province due to the rampant violations of the government's mandated coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The chief secretary said that if violations of the SOPs continue, then marriage halls, restaurants, and cattle markets should be sealed. He suggested that smart lockdowns should be imposed in areas where the ratio of coronavirus positive cases are high.

Suggestions related to a ban on indoor dining, shutting down primary schools, and keeping businesses closed twice a week were also given during the meeting. 

Shah further said that the proposals of the Sindh Health Department would be presented in the meeting of the coronavirus task force headed by the Sindh chief minister.

He also directed all commissioners and deputy commissioners to complete the vaccination target in the province. 

Coronavirus positivity ratio exceeds 14% in Karachi

In Karachi, 5,967 tests were conducted in 24 hours out of which 870 people were confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus, thus bringing the coronavirus positivity ratio to 14.58%.

According to a health department spokesperson, in the last 24 hours, the rate of positive cases of coronavirus in Hyderabad was recorded at 3.99%, while the ratio was 1.79% in other districts of Sindh.

The spokesman said that the overall positivity ratio of the virus was recorded at 6.44% in Sindh.