Government expected to decide reopening of COVID-19 negative sectors soon

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The federal government has started consultation process with stakeholders to review the possible reopening of those sectors, having been placed in the negative list during the COVID-19 pandemic, aligned to Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) and after the approval from the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). 

"Started consultations at NCOC with provinces on review and possible revision of sectors (subject of SoPs) on negative list of opening up. These include tourism, restaurants, marriage halls, parks etc. Also reviewing the timing of markets and industries are allowed to operate, the Federal Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar tweeted on August 4. 

"We have collected the proposals and have asked the provinces to finalize the SoPs and method of enforcement" Hammad Azhar added. 

“These proposals would be submitted to the NOCC, headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan, to take final decision within a few days,” the Minister concluded. 

There have been indications, following the flattening of graph relating to fatalities and infection caused by coronavirus (COVID-19), that the government would be reopening the ‘closed’ sectors sometime later this month.