ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Sunday issued detailed instructions to all the federating units to manage Eid-ul-Azha under strict COVID-19 safety protocols cattle markets to be established outside the cities across the country.
The NCOC has directed the provincial authorities to ensure that COVID-19standard operating procedures (SOPs) would be implemented in the Cattle Markets in light of these guidelines.
All staff and livestock vendors needed to be vaccinated. In contrast, the market administration was responsible for providing facilities for hand sanitiser, masks and rapid antigen test (RAT) at entry points, it added.
However, there was a ban on buying and selling of sacrificial animals inside the city.
The Forum has also released a proposed layout of model cattle market along with important guidelines to be followed in the market including, screening of all persons entering the cattle market, availability of veterinary doctor to check animal health at the entrance and arduous control measures mainly at entry, exit, marshalling area and control on the number of persons inside cattle market through token system etc. that may be devised as per need.
The guidelines also included that elaborate signposting or guidance arrangements to prevent overcrowding should be ensured and strict compliance of social distancing and wearing of masks.
Moreover, on-site continuous awareness campaigns through displaying banners should be made, whereas no physical touching or checking of animals would be allowed. The market administrations should ensure emergency services at each market, masks, sanitisers, water, shade at the venue, and regular disinfection of the area.
The Forum also apprised that the country successfully exceeded the total number of vaccinated individuals beyond 16.6 million, with more than 830,000 vaccines administered in June.
It added that a delegation led by DG NCOC visited Gilgit-Baltistan to review the region’s overall situation and vaccination process.
The delegation inspected the vaccination centres at Gilgit, Shiger and Hunza and assured the stakeholders that the NCOC has decided to vaccinate 100 per cent of the registered population in all tourist destinations.
A special team was also formed in Gilgit-Baltistan to prevent coronavirus surges and improve the vaccination process.
