ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) held a session this morning which was chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, co-chaired by National Coordinator Lieutenant General Hamood-uz-Zaman Khan. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan was also present in the meeting.
The forum decided to formulate monitoring teams at the federal/provincial and district level to ensure the implementation of SOPs from 8-16 May 2021. During this period all business and shops will remain closed with few exceptions like food outlets, grocery stores, paramedics, petrol pumps and bakeries etc.
The centre was informed that there would be a complete ban on tourism for both locals and outsiders. All tourist resorts, formal and informal picnic spots, public parks, shopping malls; all hotels and restaurants in/around tourist/ picnic spots to remain closed.
Travel nodes leading to tourist/picnic spots both in hilly areas of Northern areas and Sea views/beaches in south will also be closed; Locals especially people of GB and AJK will be allowed to travel back home.
Third-wave
The notification came on Monday as Pakistan recorded 79 coronavirus deaths and 4,213 cases in the past 24 hours, and reported a positivity rate of over 9.1 percent amid no let-up in the infections.
During the past 24 hours, 24 people died on ventilators, while 5,377 are in a critical state in hospitals across Pakistan, reported the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). At least 670 ventilators are occupied by coronavirus patients across Pakistan.
The coronavirus death toll in Pakistan has reached 18,149 with the latest fatalities. Sindh has so far reported 4,667 deaths, including 6 in past 24 hours; Punjab has so far reported 8,572 deaths, including 19 in the past 24 hours; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the highest deaths in the past 24 hours, 42 deaths, taking the total tally to 3,392; Azad Kashmir has reached 483 deaths with six new fatalities, whereas no deaths were reported in Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan.
45,954 tests conducted on 2 May across Pakistan. Sindh conducted 16,469 tests; Punjab: 16,307; KP: 7,794; Islamabad: 3,815; Balochistan: 558; GB: 385; and AJK: 626.
