KARACHI: Despite the alarming rise in coronavirus cases as a result of Omicron variant, the Sindh government on Saturday decided to keep educational institutions open across the province as authorities announces new restrictions.
The decision was taken in a meeting of the Provincial Task Force chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah at the CM House. The health department today revealed that the positivity rate reached an alarming 35.5% in Karachi.
During the meeting, the chief minister stated that officials who do not wear masks will face a fine. It was proposed to deduct one day’s wage from the pay of any government employee who does not wear a mask on the workplace.
Key decisions
- Educational institutions to remain open
- Authorities to regularly survey all public and private hospitals
- Wearing masks compulsory at all public places i.e. markets, malls, wedding halls
- Food will be distributed in boxes during the wedding ceremonies.
- Government officers not wearing masks to be fined
- Only vaccinated people allowed in markets, malls
- Restaurants that do not comply with COVID-19 SOPs will face charges.
- Additionally, the meeting determined to intensify immunisation campaigns throughout the province and to carefully adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs). The government has also decided to increase the pace of vaccination in all cities of Sindh.
Furthermore, the CM stated that with the public’s cooperation, the ongoing coronavirus wave will be brought under control. The Task Force will reconvene in a few days, and further decision will be taken after a review, CM Murad added.
COVID-19 situation in Karachi
A day earlier, CM Murad Ali Shah announced that 23 of 24 samples were found to be of the Omicron variant in Karachi when they were analysed through Next Genome Sequencing and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) at Karachi’s Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) and Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH).
He maintained so far, 430 infections of the Omicron variant have been detected in Karachi, adding that 3,089 new cases of COVID-19 were reported when 15,719 tests were conducted in Sindh. The chief minister said out of 3,089 new cases, 2,846 have been detected from Karachi.
Hyderabad has reported 104 cases, Shaheed Benazirabad 25, Sujawal 22, Naushahroferoze 19, Matiari 15, Mirpurkhas 14, Tando Allahyar 11, Tharparkar eight, Badin and Sanghar seven each, Larkana six, Umerkot five, Dadu and Ghotki four each, Sukkur three, Kashmore and Tando Muhammad Khan two each, Jacobabad and Jamshoro one each.
