Punjab allows businesses to operate 24/7 amid Covid downturn

Notification comes into force with immediate effect in all 36 districts of the province

LAHORE:

Following a decline in Covid-19 cases, the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (PSHD) has announced lifting all time-related restrictions on commercial activities across the province.

According to a notification issued on Tuesday, businesses and markets in the province can operate 24/7 while adhering to Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs), including maintaining social distancing, wearing of facemasks and use of hand sanitiser.

PSHD Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch said the notification came into force with immediate effect in all 36 districts of the province and instructed local administration and law enforcement agencies to ensure implementation of the SOPs.

He also urged the general public to get vaccinated at the earliest to protect themselves from Covid-19. “All eligible people, including school going children of more than 12 years of age, should get vaccinated as soon as possible as it is the only possible way to stop the spread of Covid-19 and new Omicron variant, which has already been reported in 95 countries, with over 58,000 confirmed cases,” the official was quoted as saying.

Also read: 43% Punjab population fully vaccinated: SACM

Europe had been declared as the epicentre as the highest number of Omicron cases were reported in the United Kingdom and Denmark, besides around 149 confirmed cases in India so far.

Meanwhile, the federal government has decided to lower the age limit for Covid-19 booster dose as a precautionary measure against the new coronavirus variant creating havoc in Europe.

The National Command and Operations Center (NCOC) in its recent session decided that individuals over 30 years of age are eligible to get a booster dose of their own choice from January 1, 2022.

Earlier, the centre had approved booster dose administration for three categories, including healthcare workers, above 50 years citizens and immunocompromised population.

The federal government had also announced taking strict measures over obligatory vaccination regime and advised citizens to take vaccine shots at the earliest as it was the only effective bid to prevent Covid-19 and its new variant.