Sindh businesses permitted to open 8am-4pm as coronavirus lockdown relaxed

KARACHI: Businesses across Sindh have been permitted to open from 8am to 4pm, starting tomorrow (Monday), after the Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah-led provincial government and the traders' alliance had successful negotiations.

According to a notification issued by the home department, community markets, retail outlets, stand-alone/neighbourhood shops located in residential areas shall be allowed to operate from 8am to 4pm, Monday to Thursday.

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are declared "safe days" with 100% lockdown for all but essential services.

Earlier in the day, the traders' leader Hammad Poonawala had said shopping centres and malls would continue to remain closed, while markets across the province would operate from 6am till 5pm.

"Shops will open tomorrow from 6:00am to 5:00pm," a spokesperson for the Sindh government said, adding that shops would start closing from 4pm. The spokesperson further mentioned that there was a consensus on the standard operating procedures (SOPs) between the traders and the provincial government.

In a video message, CM Shah said the government's priority was the health and safety of the public. "We keep talking to the federal government now and then. We had reservations against the opening of airports and public transport.

"The federal government wanted to open businesses at night, which we rejected. The federal government accepted our recommendations," Shah said, adding that it was on "us to keep the businesses closed".

"This decision was taken by all the four provinces," the chief minister added.

Shah also said his government was trying to obtain loans for the small businesses and legislation in this regard had been sent. "The governor [Imran Ismail] has sent the ordinance back, which we will resend after making changes."

Earlier, the provincial government had rejected reports of the lockdown being lifted in the province from Monday.

"[CM] Shah has categorically said that Sindh was not ending the lockdown on Monday and 'we are entering the second phase of lockdown with some extra restrictions, particularly at hotspots'," a post from PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari — retweeted by the CM House's Twitter handle — read.

The post mentioned that the statement was issued as some media channels were "giving the impression that the lockdown was ending on Monday, which was totally wrong."

However, he said "minor exemptions will be given to some sectors such as construction phase-2, and isolated shops in neighbourhoods would be allowed to operate under SOPs issued by the government".

"He categorically added that air, train and public transport would continue to remain closed. 'Our lockdown is linked to our data,' he said and added that Sindh’s provincial health capacity was currently at 20 percent. 'We will consistently adjust our protective measures according to our capacity,' he said."

The provincial government had already given a conditional permission to start online businesses from Monday to Thursday between 9am to 3pm.

Businesses, foremost are required to pledge they will "undertake to conduct business fully on-line/on phone", said a five-page notification released by the home department.

They must then "give such undertaking before opening their business and shall be applicable to all persons engaged in such business including Owners, Proprietor, as well as their staff/workers, delivery persons etc".