Pakistan announces lifting of all COVID-19 restrictions

According to the National Command and Operations Center, which monitors the anti-virus strategy, restrictions on opening hours for shopping malls, markets and amusement parks have been lifted immediately, and from March 15, on-site dinners and weddings will be allowed. closed.

Cinemas and shrines will also reopen on March 15 with “strict security measures”.

The requirement that 50 percent of employees work from home has also been removed.

“Wearing masks, social distance and smart blockages will continue,” the announcement said.

Decisions, the notice said, can be reviewed whenever deemed necessary.

The long-awaited local elections may be scheduled by the Election Commission in late May or early June.

Spectator turnout in Pakistan Super League cricket matches has doubled from 205 to 505, while in the second week of March full participation will be allowed only in play-off matches with “strict security precautions” .

Pakistan with a population of over 200 million in recent weeks has recorded a significant decline in cases and deaths from the coronavirus. However, it is still reporting over 1 thousand cases per day, as well as dozens of deaths.

With 1,196 new cases recently registered, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country has reached 574,580, including a total of 12,708 deaths.

Islamabad has already launched a long-awaited vaccination campaign. In the first phase, first-line health workers and the elderly over 65 are being vaccinated.

Last month, the government announced it was providing 17 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine through the United Nations (UN) -led COVAX instrument.

Pakistan’s drug regulator has so far approved emergency use of China’s Sinopharm and CanSino, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Russian Sputnik vaccines.