ISLAMABAD - In order to contain the spread of COVID-19 due to the second wave of infectious disease in the country, the National Assembly will remain closed for three days to disinfect the building.
The National Assembly Secretariat will resume its proper functions on November 9th with only 25 per cent essentially required staff.
The rest of the staff has been directed not to leave the station and remain available for duty on hour’s notice.
This office order to this effect was issued by the administration Wing of the National Assembly Secretariat.
The National Assembly Secretariat will remain closed till November 6, 2020 for the purpose of disinfection, according to the office order. In this regard, the meetings of the Committees scheduled from 6th to 9th
November, 2020 had been cancelled. The Standard Operating Procedure for Committee meetings will be issued on November 9th, 2020.
The office order further emphasised that the employees having symptoms of COVID-19 should get themselves tested immediately and stay isolated till negative result. The employees have further been asked to observe COVID-19 SOPs during office hours.
The office hours to be observed with effect from 9th November, 2020 will be 10.00 am to 3.00 pm from Monday to Thursday and 10.00 am to 1.00 pm on Friday. Earlier, the National Assembly Secretariat was closed for two months due to spread of Covid-19.
The government has convened the physical session of the previous National Assembly on the demand of the Opposition parties which were held under strict adherence of health guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for ensuring safety of the members and the staff.
The visitors’ galleries remained closed during the sittings and only journalists were allowed to sit in the Press Gallery and Press Lounge. Meanwhile, the Senate Secretariat Tuesday closed its all offices for three days from Wednesday (today) due to alarming rise of Covid-19 infections among its employees during the second wave of pandemic. “All offices of the Senate Secretariat will remain closed for three days (From November 4th to 6th, 2020) for complete disinfection,” said a circular issued by the Secretariat.
