38 schools sealed amid second Covid-19 wave
The provincial government on Saturday sealed at least 38 government schools amidst the second wave of the novel coronavirus.
In a statement on Saturday, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Education Department said that schools had been sealed in Haripur, Abbottabad, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Kohat, Lower Chitral, Upper Orakzai, Mardan, Mansehra, Battagram and Bannu districts after novel coronavirus (Coivd-19) cases were detected there.
Meanwhile, the Peshawar district administration sealed 36 shops, seven markets and 11 hotels for defying the Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Several businesses were also fined a cumulative Rs67,000.
Implementation of NCOC decisions
Meanwhile, K-P Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz has directed to strictly implement the decisions taken by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Dr Niaz issued these instructions while chairing a meeting of administrative secretaries, divisional commissioners and regional police officers through a video link on Saturday. K-P Police IG Sanaullah Abbasi also attended the virtual meeting.
The chief secretary said that in the wake of the second wave of Covid-19, the NCOC has imposed a complete ban on indoor weddings and over public gatherings of over 300 people.
He directed the divisional commissioners to ensure strict implementation of the NCOC decisions in their respective areas.
Dr Niaz added that the second wave of Covid-19 has already started and it was necessary to ensure that arrangements are in place to control the spread of the virus. He also directed the commissioners to visit hospitals and ensure that all arrangements including hospital capacity and coronavirus contact tracing.
The official also directed the transport department to ensure the implementation of virus SOPs in public transport.
The transport secretary said that some 23,000 vehicles have been inspected in the past month for violating the novel coronavirus SOPs.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2020.