NCOC recommends ban on large public gatherings amid Covid surge

ISLAMABAD: The National Coordination and Operation Center has once again recommended to ban all large public gatherings due to the second wave of the Coronavirus.

“Rapid increase in positivity requires urgent steps to save lives and livelihoods,” NCOC head Asad Umar said on Wednesday.

“Since mid October, when NCC first considered the NCOC recommendation to ban large public gatherings daily cases have nearly tripled,” he said.

“The national political leadership across the political spectrum needs to demonstrate leadership to send a message to the entire nation for taking preventive steps and follow sop’s. Consensus needed in NCC for taking this decision, which has been delayed due to lack of consensus,” Umar added.

This comes after the number of daily virus cases in Pakistan jumped to 1708.

The NCOC also recorded anther 21 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 7, 021.

The Punjab government on Tuesday announced it had imposed smart lockdowns in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan, as cases of the novel virus continued to surge.

The development takes place a day after Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, a senior aide to the Punjab chief minister, said the provincial government is moving towards smart lockdowns.

In the three cities, all markets, shopping malls, restaurants and office (public and private) will remain closed. The notification also bans movement of people to and from these areas by public and private transport – only one person per vehicle to and from shall be allowed movement to avail exempted facilities.

The government has also banned gatherings of all kinds – social and religious.

The timings for exempted facilities are listed below:

Grocery stores, fruit and vegetable shops: 9:00am to 7:00pm

Medical stores and pharmacies: 24/7

Dairy and meat shops: 7:00am to 7:00pm