LAHORE: In the light of guidelines of National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), the Punjab government has decided to allow opening of amusement parks and water sports under SOPs in districts with less than five percent positivity rate of corona virus.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Provincial Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid to review the situation of corona pandemic at the Civil Secretariat on Saturday.

The Chief Secretary Punjab, Additional Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), secretaries of health department, commissioner Lahore, and civil and military officials attended the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Provincial Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said that besides short-term measures, medium- and long-term planning would have to be done to overcome the corona virus. She directed that a committee comprising relevant administrative officers and experts be constituted to formulate a full-year plan for various sectors. She said that the process of vaccination in the province is in full swing and more than 150,000 people are being vaccinated daily.

She mentioned priority inoculation of four lakh schoolteachers would be done as the government schools are being opened in the province from June 7.

The Chief Secretary said that food courts in shopping malls would be allowed to open under the SOPs. He said the restrictions are being relaxed, keeping in view the current epidemic situation. He said that citizens should make wearing of masks, keeping social distance and other precautionary measures a part of their daily life.

Secretary Primary Health Sara Aslam and Secretary Specialized Health Nabeel Awan gave a detailed briefing to the meeting. The home department officials told the meeting that markets, bus stands, restaurants and marriage halls are being regularly inspected for the implementation of SOPs in the province and 16 restaurants and five marriage halls were sealed for violations on Saturday.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021