Indian new Delta variant: Punjab to implement strict SOPs at markets, restaurants

LAHORE: The Punjab government has activated the administrative machinery for ensuring strict implementation of Corona SOPs at markets, restaurants and other public places amid rise in coronavirus cases.

The management of restaurants and fast food chains are allowing entry to only vaccinated people in their respective premises. However, there is loose control in parks, cattle markets where Corona SOPs are not being implemented in letter and spirit.

Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education department has also directed the heads of medical institutions, colleges and hospitals to get their employees vaccinated by 15th July.

Secretary Specialized Healthcare Barrister Nabeel Ahmad Awan said that after 15th July, non-vaccinated employees will not be allowed to enter the premises of any hospital or medical institution and they will be marked as absent from duty.

The provincial government has also decided to restrict the entry of all government and private schools' teaching and non-teaching staff to the educational institutes from August 1, who have not vaccination.

The District Education Officers (DEOs) have been assigned the task, to provide the vaccination certificates of the staff of their respective educational institutes to the Education department.

The Corona positivity rate across the province has been recorded 1.31 percent, as out of total 17058 coronavirus tests conducted during the last 24 hours, as many as 224 fresh virus cases and three fatalities were reported taking the provincial tally of virus cases to 348,309 and death toll to 10822.

With the recovery of 71 corona positive patients, the total number of recovered patients in Punjab has reached to 328,838. On the other hand, as many as 670 coronavirus recoveries were reported across the country during the last 24 hours taking the tally of recoveries to 913873 with recovery rate of 93.7 percent.

As per breakup of corona cases and deaths in major cities of the province, Lahore has so far reported 179447 cases and 4340 deaths, Rawalpindi 26787 cases and 1542 deaths, Faisalabad 21474 cases and 1163 deaths, Multan 17958 cases and 851 deaths, Gujranwala 8323 cases and 426 deaths, Rahim Yar Khan 6106 cases and 262 deaths, Sargodha 8462 cases and 290 deaths, Muzaffargarh 2292 cases and 265 death and Sialkot reported 7106 cases and 236 deaths.

Moreover, Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said on Monday that the fourth corona wave is knocking at the doors due to the non-observance of corona related SOPs and casual social behaviour of citizens.

In a statement, CM regretted the corona cases are increasing due to the little practice of following SOPs at markets and other public places. He asked the citizens to continue following SOPs and get themselves vaccinated as well. SOPs must be fully observed for avoiding restrictions and smart lockdown would be the only option if precautions are not followed, he emphasised.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021