Sindh denies reports of lifting lockdown from May 1

KARACHI: The Sindh government late on Wednesday night denied the reports doing rounds on the social and mainstream media that it had decided to lift the lockdown against coronavirus from May 1, 2020.

In a statement, Sindh Information and Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that no such decision was taken to lift the lockdown in the province. Instead, a meeting was held, which held consultations on the proposal to ease the lockdown regime in the province, he said.

Nasir said it was the desire of the Sindh government that businesses in the province should be granted concessions in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures for resumption of business activities in the province. He said consultation on this issue was continuing and the people would be informed once it was completed. Nasir said protection of health and lives of the people of the province is the foremost priority of the provincial government.

He said businesses would be allowed to reopen once all the protective measures were taken in accordance with the relevant SOPs. He said at the moment businesses were allowed to

sell their products through E-commerceNews report adds: The Sindh government on Wednesday dismissed reports that claimed the province was ending the province-wide lockdown today (Thursday) as the COVID-19 tally in the province soared to 5,695.

Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah said: "No decision has been taken to end the lockdown although, a meeting was held in this regard." Shah said the government wished to grant relaxation to business activities on the SOPs. "We will inform the public when a decision has been finalised," he said.

The information minister said that Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah had imposed the restrictions keeping in mind the best interests of the people.