ISLAMABAD - The National Command and Operation Centre on Friday directed all the four provinces and the federating units to launch crackdown against indoor restaurants and marriage halls violating the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) devised to stop the spread of coronavirus.
In a tweet, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said indoor restaurants and marriage halls were emerging as high contributors to COVID-19 spread. “Indoor Restaurants & marriage halls emerging as high contributors to virus spread. NCOC today has directed all provinces and federating units to crack down on SOP violations in these places,” he said in the tweet. “We must not allow irresponsible behaviour of some to put the health of everyone at risk,” he said further.
Meanwhile, Pakistan reported 625 new infections and 15 deaths due to the virus. The country’s Covid-19 tally has jumped to 313,431 after the NCOC reported 625 new cases on Friday. With the 15 more deaths, the country’s death toll has reached 6,499. Punjab’s Covid-19 tally has swelled to 99,605 after the authorities reported 126 new cases. The virus claimed two more lives, taking the provincial death toll to 2,237. At least 298,055 patients have recovered from the deadly disease so far. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa reported at least 34 new Covid-19 cases during the past 24 hours, taking the tally to 37,845. According to the officials, 40 more patients have recovered from the virus as the total recoveries reached 36,114. No death was reported in the province. So far 1,260 people have succumbed to the disease in the province. Meanwhile, Sindh reported at least 361 new Coronavirus cases during the past 24 hours, taking the tally to 137,467. According to the officials, 13 more people succumbed to the respiratory disease as the death toll reached 2,512.