Coronavirus: Sindh extends restaurant timings

KARACHI: The Sindh government has eased coronavirus lockdown curbs and allowed outdoor dining in at restaurants till 10:00pm, according to a notification issued Friday.

The timings for takeaways have also been extended to  1:00am.

The notification said the modified timings shall come into force immediately and remain effective till January 31, 2021.

With the rising spread of coronavirus infections, the federal government on the recommendation of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) banned indoor dining and events and limited outdoor gatherings to 300 people in November. 

It also made face masks mandatory in public spaces, closed shrines, cinemas, and theatres, and instructed public and private offices to adopt work-from-home policy and 50% occupancy.

Following the NCOC decision, Sindh government issued a notification directing markets and business centres to stay open from 6:00am to 6:00pm on weekdays and remain closed on weekends. 

The cut off time was revised to 8:00pm following Karachi traders' protest.

Only essential services are allowed to stay open on weekends and outdoor events were restricted to 200 guests while closed-door marquees and buffet banned. 

At weddings, the food has to be served in packets and the function has to end by 9:00pm.

COVID-19 stats

The province accounts for the largest number of COVID-19 cases in the country as well as the highest case positivity rate of 12.91%.

At least 1,489 people tested positive for the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, raising the provincial tally to 192,735. The NCOC data shows that the virus has claimed 3,132 lives across the province while 165,466 people have recovered.