NCOC issues Ramazan SOPs amid Covid-19 third wave

ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) issued on Wednesday new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to contain the spread of coronavirus during the holy month of Ramazan. A special meeting of NCOC was chaired for this by Asad Umar on Tuesday. According to a declaration issued by the NCOC the forum has decided to implement broader lockdowns with stringent enforcement protocols where no mobility will be allowed except in emergency situations.

Market timings will be from Sehri till 6:pm. For Taraweeh prayers NCOC said that it should be organised in open spaces as far as possible. Saturdays and Sundays will be observed as closed days at the national level.

All indoor and outdoor activities including social cultural political sports and other miscellaneous events will be banned. Outdoor dining will be allowed from iftar till midnight 11:59 pm with strict SOPs while takeaways will be allowed, the notification read.

Cinemas, shrines and amusement parks will remain closed. Amid the spread of the pandemic in the third wave the inter-provincial transport will remain suspended for two days a week (Saturdays and Sundays) which will continue to be enforced till midnight April 25-26. The forum called for civil administration at every tier to engage Ulema and community leaders for assistance in the enforcement of COVID-19 SOPs during Ramazan.

Stringent protocols for tourism have been imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir and tourist sites elsewhere.