Gatherings at wedding halls banned from November 20: NCOC

The National Command Operation Centre (NCOC) has placed a ban on gatherings at wedding halls from November 20 in big cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Multan and Rawalpindi.

People will, however, be allowed to hold weddings and other ceremonies in open spaces. A maximum of 1,000 people will be allowed to attend.

The new rules will also be applied in Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Peshawar, Quetta and Gujranwala, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur and Abbottabad as well.

The decisions taken by the NCOC are aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus’s second wave.

The NCOC has also decided to instruct government and private institutions to cut their workforce in half. Only 50% of their employees will work at offices while the rest will work from home.

The government will also impose smart lockdowns in areas affected by the virus.

The virus has so far claimed 6,923 lives in Pakistan, according to official figures. On October 28, Prime Imran Khan’s Special Assistant on Health Dr Faisal Sultan had announced that the second wave of the deadly virus has started in the country.

During a media briefing, he said health authorities were receiving 700 to 750 cases of coronavirus per day and the mortality rate had also increased.

Sindh announces new coronavirus restrictions

The Sindh government has barred companies and factories from calling employees above 55 years old to workplaces, according to a notification issued Friday night.

In the notification, the Sindh home department instructed companies and firms to only call skeleton staff to offices and put in place an online work mechanism. Managers and owners of companies will be held accountable in case of violations.

“Ensure that only minimal essential staff for the permissible activities/operation is engaged. Further, as far as is possible, engage in an online work from home mode of operation,” read the notification.

The home department said that the government could close any place or area with the highest number of coronavirus cases to contain the spread of coronavirus.

No more than two persons will be allowed to travel in a car, read the notification. “Persons coming out in public places for some necessity must necessarily wear a mask.”

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