Govt reminds business community to strictly implement SOPs

The Sindh government, concerned over the rising cases of COVID-19, has issued a letter to the business community for strict implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government. The correspondence says that a meeting to review the implementation of the SOPs issued by the home department on April 14 was held on June 10 under the chairmanship of the chief secretary, who showed concern that the SOPs were not being implemented strictly in factories and industries, shops and commercial establishments, shopping malls, markets, offices and other workplaces.

As a result, it says, patients of COVID-19 are increasing tremendously day by day, which is a very alarming situation and requires immediate and effective steps to curtail this pandemic. Furthermore, the government has promulgated the Sindh Covid-19 Emergency Relief Ordinance 2020, and according to Section 3 (2) (b) “no employee or worker shall be laid off terminated or removed and the employee shall be paid salary by the employer”. According to Section 4 (1) of the act, “Whoever contravenes the provisions of Section 3 shall be punishable on the spot with a fine, which may extend upto one million rupees or seizure of moveable or immoveable property or both.

Accordingly, it has been decided that all necessary precautionary measures should be taken for the safety of the labourers and workers from the spread of COVID-I 9 in the province and also the SOPs issued by the home department on April 14 should be implemented strictly in all factories and industries, shops & commercial establishments, shopping malls, markets, offices and other workplaces. The letter further says: “You are, therefore, requested to kindly circulate among all the embers of your esteemed association, for strict compliance with the SOPs, issued by the Government of Sindh, from time to time, so that COVID-19 may not spread and precious lives of the workers or labourers may also be saved.”