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NCOC decides to resume indoor dining, extend business timings

NCOC decides to resume indoor dining, extend business timings
June 28, 2021

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - The National Command and Operations Center (NCOC) has decided to resume the indoor dining and extend the working hours of business centers across the country till 10pm from July 1.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the NCOC chaired by Federal Minister Asad Umar. The NCOC eased coronavirus restrictions in the country and meeting also decided to impose new restrictions after reviewing the Coronavirus situation.

From July 1, Important businesses including petrol pumps and medical stores will be allowed to remain open 24 hours a day.

The NCOC has directed the hotel and restaurant management to come up with a plan to check the vaccination certificate. According to the announcement, outdoor weddings will be allowed for up to 400 people while up to 200 vaccinated people will be able to attend indoor weddings.

People who have been completely inoculated against the virus will be allowed inside restaurants. They will have to carry their vaccination certificates at all times and will only be let inside after showing them.

Restaurants and cafes have been instructed to operate at 50% of their capacity.

Markets will be allowed to stay open till 10pm. Previously, shops, malls, and businesses were operating from 8am to 8pm.

Wedding halls association and managements will institute a mechanism for checking of vaccination certificates of guests and will also ensure vaccination of respective staff, the NCOC said.

Shrines are allowed to re-open at the discretion of federating units, while adherence to strict COVID SOPs. Cinemas are allowed to re-open with strict COVID protocols for vaccinated individuals only till 01:00am.

Cinemas management will institute a mechanism for checking 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.

A ban has been imposed on all types of indoor and outdoor gatherings including cultural, musical, religious, miscellaneous events.

Continuation of normal working hours for public and private offices with 100% attendance. 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 1 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.

The new decisions will remain in force till July 31. The NCOC will meet again on July 27 and overview the graph of infections in the country.

On the other hand, as many as 20 more people died while 914 new cases were reported during the last 24 hours.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Saturday, the positive cases rate remained at 2.05 percent.

During the last 24 hours, 44,496 tests were conducted. The overall deaths have reached 22,231 so far.

The province-wise cases are: Sindh (336,076), KPK (137,759), Punjab (345,900), Islamabad (82,596), Balochistan (27,064), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (20,243) and Gilgit Baltistan (6,019).