Sindh closes restaurants, shopping centres for 15 days

KARACHI: Sindh government announced on Tuesday that all restaurants, shopping malls, public parks and Karachi’s Seaview will remain closed from tomorrow for the next fifteen days.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, while presiding over a meeting of the task force on coronairus, took the drastic decision under which all the restaurants, shopping malls, food streets, seaview, parks and government offices, except essential services, would remain closed for next fifteen days all over Sindh.

The chief minister said that the coronavirus has started spreading through social contacts in the city and other areas of the province. He warned that health facilities will fall short of providing medical treatment if they fail to take strict measures in time to affect the entire province of Sindh.

During the meeting, it was decided that all the shopping malls, restaurants, Seaview, public parks, and the Karachi Electronic Market, would remain closed from Wednesday, March 18 for the next 15 days all over Sindh. 

However, the grocery, milk, fish, chicken and meat and vegetables shops would remain open. Chemists, pharmacies and even utility stores will remain open, while take-aways and delivering from eateries would be allowed.

CM Sindh also decided that all the government offices, except essential services such as health, local government, water board would remain closed from Thursday. The chief secretary would issue a notification in this regard.

Another important decision taken by the chief minister was to close inter-city bus service from Friday. Visitors have two days to return to their respective towns and cities.

The government’s spokesman Murtaza Wahab also made the announcement about the ban on public gathering.  He said, “All restaurants, malls, shopping centres will be closed in Sindh from tomorrow. Only takeaways & deliveries will be allowed.”

All restaurants,malls,shopping centres will be closed in Sindh from tomorrow. Only takeaways & deliveries will be allowed. Section 144 also to be imposed at beach & parks. It is clarified that shopping stores & chemists will remain open. Citizens are once again urged to cooperate

— SenatorMurtaza Wahab (@murtazawahab1) March 17, 2020

He further informed that the provincial government has also imposed Section 144 will at beaches and parks, adding shopping stores and chemists will remain open.

The decision came after the national tally of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen to 230. Sindh has been the worst affected province as 172 cases have been reported. Punjab has confirmed 26 cases of COVID-19, 16 in Balochistan. 15 in KP, 5 in Gilgit Baltistan and 2 in Islamabad.