ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) Monday permitted restaurants to operate at 50% indoor capacity but the exception had been made only for vaccinated people.
In a statement, the NCOC said indoor and outdoor dining had now been allowed till 11:59 pm, while indoor dining would be at 50% occupancy only for those who had received both doses of the vaccine.
The development came during a NCOC session, with Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar in the chair. The forum took a detailed review of the current disease situation in the country and made several decisions that will be implemented from July 1-31, with a review on July 27.
The restaurant and hotel managements will institute a mechanism for checking of vaccination certificates of guests and will also ensure vaccination of respective management and staff, the NCOC said, adding that takeaways will be allowed 24/7.
The markets and business activities will continue till 10pm. However, essential services — petrol pumps, pharmacies, medical facilities, vaccination centres, milk shops, tandoors, and takeaways — are allowed to operate 24/7.
Four hundred people have been allowed to attend outdoor marriages, while indoor marriages have been permitted for only vaccinated individuals, with a cap of 200 people. Wedding halls association and managements will also devise a plan to check the vaccination certificates of guests and will also ensure vaccination of respective staff, the NCOC said.
Shrines are allowed to reopen at the discretion of federating units with strict adherence to COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs). Cinemas are allowed to re-open with strict COVID-19 protocols for vaccinated individuals only till 1am.
The managements of cinemas will institute a mechanism for checking the vaccination certificates of visitors and will also ensure vaccination of respective management and staff. Broader lockdowns with stringent enforcement protocols based on risk assessment would continue and the NCOC will regularly share heat maps with federating units for implementation of lockdowns, the statement said.
Continuation of normal working hours for public and private offices with 100% attendance has also been announced. The ban on contact sports — karate, boxing, martial arts, rugby, water polo, kabaddi, and wrestling — will remain in place.
Gyms will reopen for only vaccinated people, while it is mandatory for the facility's staff members to get inoculated as well. Public transport is allowed to operate with 70% occupancy with strict COVID SOPs. Railway services are allowed to operate with 70% occupancy.
There will be one closed day during the week and the selection of that day will be at the discretion of federating units. The current inbound passenger policy will continue till further orders, while a policy on tourism would be issued.
Summer vacations in the education sector would be at the discretion of respective federating units and no session is scheduled at NCOC in this regard. Meanwhile, Pakistan Monday morning reported 20 new fatalities from coronavirus, which is the lowest number of deaths in a single day since the third wave started.
Deaths from coronavirus have been steadily declining as the country continues to grapple with the third wave [of the pandemic].
The 20 deaths reported on Monday are the lowest in four months. Before this, the country last reported 16 deaths in a day from the virus during the third wave on February 21.
According to the latest statistics released by the National Command and Operation Center, 44,496 coronavirus tests were conducted across the country in the last 24 hours, out of which 914 people tested positive.
The country's positivity rate currently stands at 2.5%. The total number of deaths from COVID-19 countrywide so far has reached 22,231. The total number of cases has reached 955,657, while 91,201 people have recovered so far. The active number of cases are currently 32,225.
During the last 24 hours, most deaths occurred in Punjab and Sindh followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Out of the 20 deaths in the last 24 hours, 11 died on the ventilator. There were 1,961 infected patients under treatment in critical condition with 20 of them admitted during 24 hours in various COVID dedicated healthcare facilities of the country.
The national positivity ratio during past 24 hours was recorded 2.05 percent. The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major cities including Islamabad 24 percent, Peshawar 19 percent, Bahawalpur 22 percent and Multan 27 percent. Around 258 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country, while no affected person was on ventilator in Balochistan, and Gilgit Baltistan (GB).
Some 44,496 tests were conducted across the country on Sunday, including 14,052 in Sindh, 15,565 in Punjab, 10,106 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 3,180 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 790 in Balochistan, 339 in GB, and 464 in AJK.
Around 901,201 people have recovered so far across Pakistan making it a significant count with over 90 percent recovery ratio. Since the pandemic broke out, a total of 955,657 cases have been detected that also included the perished, recovered and under treatment COVID-19 patients so far, including AJK 20,243, Balochistan 27,064, GB 6,019, ICT 82,596, KP 137,759, Punjab 345,900 and Sindh 336,076.
Around 22,231 deaths have been recorded in the country since the eruption of the contagion. Around 5,418 people perished in Sindh, 10,729 in Punjab, 4,308 in KP, 776 in ICT, 307 in Balochistan, 111 in GB and 582 in AJK. A total of 14,460,890 corona tests have been conducted so far, while 639 hospitals are equipped with COVID facilities across the country.
