Coronavirus: Sindh announces closure of businesses on Friday, Sunday

• Food items, medical stores, dairy shops, and other essential services to be exempted.
• Earlier, traders had rejected Sindh government's directives to close shops at 8pm.
• In last 24 hours, Pakistan reported 4,323 cases and 43 deaths from coronavirus.

The Sindh government has announced that businesses across the province will remain closed on Fridays and Sundays, as coronavirus cases witness a surge in the country.

Grocery shops, medical stores, dairy shops, and other businesses that fall under essential services will be exempted from the restriction, the notification issued by the Home Department said Monday.

"Keeping in view the feedback from field formations on implementation of two safe days per week where different business within same locality/premises are observing different safe days in a week and therefore, the need to avoid confusion and implementation issue the two days Friday and Sunday are declared as safe days for all businesses except essential services," the notification said.

In light of what may arguably be the deadliest wave of coronavirus, the government of Sindh had earlier issued a notification ordering marriage halls and all business centres to be closed by 8pm, effective from April 6, 2021.

However, traders in Pakistan's financial capital had once again rejected the Sindh government's coronavirus-related order to close markets by 8pm — in line with their stance last year when they protested against shutting down the metropolis' bazaars.

Karachi's traders slammed the Sindh government's notification to close business centres at 8pm and demanded the prior working hours be restored. 

In the last 24 hours, Pakistan reported 4,323 cases and 43 deaths from coronavirus, bumping the overall infections to 692,231 and the death toll to 14,821.