Coronavirus: Sindh government issues notification extending lockdown till April 14

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Thursday issued a set of new orders and guidelines for the lockdown to encourage social distancing and contain the coronavirus from spreading.

According to the notification, the orders will be in place till April 14, 2020. All schools, colleges, universities, madressahs and tuition centres will remain closed till April 14.

In continuation of its previous order, shopping malls, cinemas, wedding halls, showrooms, banquets, hotels etc will also remain closed throughout the province. Shrines and other holy sites will also remain closed while inter and intra-city public transport will remain suspended (except for food and essential items).

The home department said, in accordance with the rules announced earlier, that not more than five persons (mosque staff) will be allowed to offer congregational prayers in mosques. Also, for funeral and burial rights, only close family members will be allowed to partake and will have to inform the local SHO beforehand.

"There shall be a complete ban on all public and movement activities from Friday 12:00pm to 03:30pm which may resume from 3:30pm to 6:30pm (Friday only)," read the notification.

Essential Items / Services to operate

No other Industry or service to operate except:

Food and related shops/manufacturers / distributors and all related in chain-like wheat & rice, pulses, bardana etc. Seeds, fertilizers, pesticide, fish, meat, vegetable/fruit, dairy, poultry, poultry feed and related activities in chain & related shops, stores, godowns, manufacturers and transport etc.

Agriculture and related activities including harvesting etc and related use of Thrashers, Tractors their repairs/maintenance etc. Health and related services Hospitals, Laboratories, Pharmacies, Drug Stores, Manufacturing, packaging, transport etc i.e. all within value/supply chain items of personal hygiene like Soaps, Sanitizers & disinfectants etc.

Electricity, Gas, Oil, LPG, Power Generation (Solar, Wind, Bagasse etc) Production 3L). ef.:, Generation, distribution, storage where applicable and related maintenance activities. k Essential Municipal Services, Water Supply (including Water Tankers, Sewerage, Solid Ee Waste)

Transport of Goods & Essential Items (Food and medicine & emergency services materials supplies).

Restriction on movement of people

People are restricted from movement from 5:00pm to 08:00am except for armed forces personnel, doctors and health professionals, persons requiring immediate medical care and persons on goods transport. The notification said that newspaper sorting and distribution can begin from 05:00am.