Spray drive begins at shrines; Sindh to distribute a million soaps

As part of the preventative measures against the coronavirus spread, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has started carrying out antibacterial spray at all shrines in the city.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday, they include the shrines of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Hazrat Masoom Shah Ghazi, Hazrat Qalandar Baba Aulia, and Hazrat Syed Noor Ali Shah Bukhari. Meanwhile, the jails of the city are also being sprayed.

One million soaps

Sindh Information and Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said the provincial government will purchase over a million soaps which will be distributed among the public.

Nasir said the directives had been issued to every union council and all union committees in Sindh to purchase soaps amounting to Rs100,000. He said the decision was part of the measures being taken to curb the spread of COVID-19. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the minister said the Sindh government would take all possible steps necessary to keep the people safe from the caronavirus.

The minister said the soaps would be purchased and distributed among the public soon so that they could help protect people to some extent from the virus. He said a campaign regarding the distribution of soaps would be publicised through media so that people could get them easily. Nasir said in the first phase all union councils in the province would purchase soaps amounting to Rs100,000, after which gradually, if needed, the campaign would be extended to other areas of the province. There are 1,175 union councils and 351 union committees in Sindh.

The minister said people should not be worried about the rapid spread of the caronavirus as at the moment the situation was under control, adding that the Sindh government was in a state of high alert. He said the Sindh chief minister was personally monitoring the situation and he had also issued instructions to all members of his cabinet in this regard. He said the only way to remain safe from getting affected by the coronavirus was to take precautions.

Bachat Bazaars

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar has ordered that no Bcahat Bazaars (discount markets) will operate in the city in view of the coronavirus threat. According to a notification issued by the KMC, preventative measures for curbing the spread of COVID-19 are being taken.

The notification is addressed to the All Karachi Bachat Bazar Association, the All Korangi Associaation chairman and the All Bachat Bazars organisers.

“In the wake of the recent outbreak of COVID-19 [which has been] declared a pandemic and in order to taking preventive measures for its further spread … the mayor Karachi has directed for the stoppage of all Bachat Bazaars organised within the jurisdiction of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation,” the notification said.

It added that all permissions issued by the department for organising Bachat Bazaars or festivals had been temporarily suspended with immediate effect.

The press statement has also asked all individuals and organisations, which were earlier got permissions to hold festivals and Bachat Bazaars, to strictly follow the ban “else their licenses will be permanently cancelled”.