Lockdown in Punjab extended till July 15

LAHORE: The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) Punjab has extended lockdown for 15 days in Punjab till July 15, 2020, midnight. The order, issued on June 15, 2020, vis-à-vis lockdown in Punjab, ended on June 30, 2020 at 12am.

The P&SHD secretary, under the Punjab Infectious Diseases (Prevention and Control) Ordinance 2020, extended applicability of department’s earlier notification, unless modified otherwise. The order would come into force with immediate effect and widely publicised for information of the general public.

As per P&SHD notification, all educational and training institutions, marriage halls, business centres, expo halls, restaurants (except for takeaway and home delivery services), theme/ amusement parks, play areas and arcades, beauty parlours and spas, cinemas and theatres would remain closed.

There would be a complete ban on sporting tournaments/ matches (indoor and outdoor) except non-contact professional sports without spectators. All contact sports and indoor sports clubs/ facilities would remain closed.

There would also be a complete ban on gatherings of all kinds for social, religious, or any other purpose at any place, public or private.

All businesses, factories, facilities, premises, retail shops, shopping malls and plazas except the aforementioned negative list, are hereby allowed to operate subject to adoption of standard operating procedures (SOPs)/guidelines from 9AM to 7PM, Monday to Friday, and there would be complete lockdown on Saturdays and Sundays.

However, all medical services and pharmacies/ medical stores, tyre puncture shops, fruit and vegetable shops, tandoors, atta chakkis, postal/ courier services, driver hotels, petrol pumps, oil depots, LPG outlets and filling plants, agriculture machinery workshops and spare-part shops, printing press, call centres (with 50% staff and no pubic dealing), takeaway/home delivery from restaurants would remain open (24/7); inter-city and inter-district public transport (24/7); grocery stores and Karyana stores (9AM to 7PM, 7 days a week); and churches (7AM to 5PM, Sundays only).