Coronavirus: NCOC announces complete ban on wedding functions from April 5 onwards
Curbs to apply in areas that have a three-day rolling average of an 8% positivity ratio; intra-provincial travel ban also considered
March 28, 2021
In a major development, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Sunday announced a complete ban on holding wedding functions — both indoor and outdoor — starting April 5, in areas that have a three-day rolling average of an 8% positivity ratio.
The coronavirus monitoring body took the decisions in a meeting held on Sunday.
The meeting was chaired by Federal Minister of Planning and Development Asad Umar, whereas, chief ministers of all four provinces attended it via video link.
The NCOC announced a "complete ban on marriages (including indoor and outdoor) from 5th April onwards".
"However, provinces will be at liberty to implement restrictions in early time frame as per the situation on ground," read the NCOC statement.
The NCOC said that the government is also mulling the prospects of more restrictions on inter-provincial travelling. "Various options for reduction of inter-provincial transport were considered," said the statement.
However, the final decision will be taken based on the input from all provinces and an analysis of the data about the number of inter-provincial commuters via air, rail and road, said the NCOC.
On the imposition of more smart lockdowns, the NCOC said it will provide updated hotspot maps to provinces for enforcement of expanded lockdowns, with effect from March 29, 2021.
It also directed provinces to ensure vaccination targets given by the NCOC are being met in a timely manner.
"Correct and timely data ingestion in NIMS be ensured by all provinces," it added.
For third day in a row, Pakistan reports over 4,000 coronavirus cases
The important decisions have been taken by the NCOC after Pakistan reported an alarming 4,767 new cases of the virus in a single day.
Fifty-seven people died from the virus over the past 24 hours while 4,767 more contracted the disease on Saturday, according to figures obtained from the NCOC.
Pakistan tested 45,656 people in total for the infection on Saturday. The positivity ratio in the country has climbed to 10.4%.
More to follow...
