Pakistan aims to limit mobility on Eid ul Fitr to curb Covid

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: The National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) on Thursday unveiled its new “Stay Home, Stay Safe” approach to reduce mobility during Eidul Fitr — among a raft of measures which also banned Chand Raat markets, a staple of Eid festivities — as the country remained bombarded with a consistently high case load and fatality rate.

The development came as 151 more people died due to Covid-19, while active infections rapidly approached the 90,000 mark after 5,480 new cases were detected. As of Thursday, there were 6,327 hospital admissions across the country, 689 of whom were on ventilators. A total of 815,711 cases were detected, while 17,680 deaths were recorded in the country since the eruption of the contagion.

In a press release on the NCOC’s Twitter account, it said the measures will be in force from May 8-16. Eid holidays have been announced from May 10-15, while “comprehensive SOPs” for Youm-e-Ali, Shab-e-Qadar, Jummatul Wida and Eid prayers would be issued by May 1.

All markets, businesses and shops will remain closed aside from essential services like pharmacies, grocery stores, bakeries, fruit, vegetables and meat shops and fuel stations. Takeaway food are also deemed essential. Chand Raat bazaars have been banned.

Tourism has been completely banned for “both locals and outsiders”. All tourist resorts, formal and informal picnic spots, public parks, shopping malls, all hotels and restaurants in and around tourist spots are to remain closed, the statement said.

Inter-provincial, inter-city and intra-city public transport are also banned, while private vehicles, taxis and rickshaws may operate with 50 per cent occupancy.

Meanwhile, three quarters of Karachi’s coronavirus infections were found to be linked to the UK variant, but provincial health authorities also detected another strain among positive cases, Sindh’s health minister Dr Azra Pechuho said.

In a video briefing posted on Twitter, Pechuho said 22 cases were under investigation in Karachi, of which 18 were found to have the UK variant - roughly 75 per cent.

Pechuho said the federation did not quarantine those coming from the UK despite the Sindh government’s request, she said, adding that there are fears many people in Sindh and Karachi are feared to be affected.