Covid-19: Sindh bans intercity transport, shuts educational institutions

KARACHI: In view of the growing Covid-19 cases during the third wave of the pandemic, the Sindh government on Monday announced to impose a ban on the inter-provincial transport, closed educational institutions, slashed government offices staff by 80 percent and decided to purchase two oxygen plants, one of which would be airlifted from China.

“We have also decided to seek the services of armed forces to assist the district administration and the police to implement Covid-19 related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the province,” Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said while addressing a press conference at the auditorium of the Sindh Assembly just after presiding over the Provincial Task Force meeting on Coronavirus.

He was accompanied by provincial ministers Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Syed Nasir Shah, Ikram Dharejo, Adviser on Law Murtaza Wahab and Parliamentary Secretary on Health Qasim Siraj Soomro.

The chief minister said that the coronavirus situation was comparatively better in Sindh but during the last 60 days detection ratio of the new cases has shown a dangerous surge. “This is something to be worried about,” he said and added on February 24, they had 348 new cases and on April 25 the number of new cases has increased to 952. ‘This shows that the situation is aggravating,” he said.

The chief minister said that in Sindh "we have 664 ICU beds with ventilators, of them only 47 were occupied". He added that there were 1,872 HDU beds with oxygen facilities in the province, of them 296 were occupied. “It still means we have enough facilities to deal with the patients but we have decided to upgrade and multiply our facilities,” he said.

Murad Ali Shah said that oxygen was available in enough quantity in the province. “Alhamdullillah, we have no issue of the oxygen shortage, we have three oxygen plants installed in government facilities, one at Trauma Center Karachi and other two at Dow University Ojha Campus and Gambat Institute of Health Sciences, Khairpur.

“We have decided to purchase two more plants, one from Italy and another one from China,” the CM said and added “I am assessing ways and means to airlift one of the oxygen plants at the earliest.”

The chief minister said that still the province of Sindh was in a comfortable position, but the situation could worsen, therefore, "in our Taskforce [on Coronavirus] meeting we have taken some important decisions."

Giving details of the decision, Murad Ali Shah said that all the schools, colleges and universities have been closed with immediate effect. All the provincial government offices have been directed to slash their staff by 80 percent. The staff members would work from their homes, he said and added the offices of essential services would function as usual. The new office timings would be from 9 am to 2pm.

Murad Ali Shah said private offices would have to slash their 50 percent staff, in case of failure their offices would be sealed. Talking about markets, the chief minister said they have been allowed to operate from early morning to 6 pm, as has been decided by the NCOC. “We are sure that the traders would follow the SOPs, otherwise the government can impose more restrictions,” he warned.

“No visitor would be allowed to meet the inmates in jail,” he said categorically. Murad Ali Shah said that the inter-city bus transport has been banned from April 29, 2021. However, goods transports would operate as usual, he added. “I would take all the chief ministers into confidence about the decision of banning inter-city transport so that passenger transport may not rush at our borders. Industrial units would operate as usual but with SOPs and restaurants would only offer home delivery and takeaway services. Indoor and outdoor dining have been banned completely, he said.

The chief minister said that the provincial government has decided to seek the services of armed forces to assist the district administration and the police to enforce Coronavirus SOPs. He added that a letter to the Ministry of Interior seeking the services of armed forces would be written today [Monday] and its post facto approval would be sought from the cabinet on Tuesday. Murad Ali Shah clarified that all the hospitals, public and private, and medical stores have been exempted from all the restrictions. They will operate as usual.