Chief Minister Sindh Orders Closure Of Public Gathering Places For Three Weeks

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday while taking policy decision has decided to close all the shrines, marriage lawns and cinema halls, educational process in maddaris, training institutions, marriage functions in clubs and public gatherings, including Urs of saints for a period of three weeks till April 5

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Mar, 2020 ):Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday while taking policy decision has decided to close all the shrines, marriage lawns and cinema halls, educational process in maddaris, training institutions, marriage functions in clubs and public gatherings, including Urs of saints for a period of three weeks till April 5.

He directed Provincial Disaster Mangment Authority (PDMA) to take lead in developing Taluka-wise data of the families so that in case of any emergency the people could be reached for their food, medicines and other related supplies and help. He issued these directives while presiding over two different meeting, 17th Task force on coronavirus and Disaster Mangement Authority here at CM's House, said a statement.

The meeting was attended by Minister Health Dr Azra Pechuho, Minister Information Nasir Shah, Advisor Law Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IG Sindh Mushtaq Maher, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary health Zahid Abbasi, Dr Faisal of Aga Khan, representative of WHO and others.

The chief minister said that when novel coronavirus has become pandemic, therefore his government has no option but to take drastic measure to control the situation and save our people.

"It is high time to close the cinemas, marriage halls/lawns, shrines and Urs programmes being observed there and even we can't allow marriage function at clubs," he said and added "Yes, people can hold marriage program at a limited level at their homes." Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the chief secretary to issue notification for imposing ban on such gatherings. "I am sure people of this province will strengthen my hands in containing coronavirus," he said and added "as and when situation is improved we would reverse our decisions of banning social and religious gatherings." As many as 293 pilgrims in seven buses have reached Sukkur and all of them have been taken to isolation center where their medical check up and others tests were being be conducted.

At this the chief minister Commissioner Sukkur to collect samples of all the 293 pilgrims and send them to Karachi for test.

He said that since there was no testing facility at Sukkur, therefore he sent his helicopter to Sukkur to airlift the samples of 293 pilgrims arrived there from Taftan. These samples would be tested at Aga Kha, Indus and Ojha hospitals, he added.

The chief minister also directed Commissioner Sukkur to develop data of all the pilgrims so that their collect addresses could be recorded for future strategy.

He also directed the commissioner to install TV sets in the rooms of the pilgrims houses in isolation center so that they could not feel `actual isolation but they must have the feeling of being looked after properly." Syed Murad Ali Shah told the commissioner that another batch of 648 pilgrims were ready to leave Taftan for Sukkur, therefore their accommodation arrangements shopudl be made accordingly.

He also requested World Health Organisation to send their experts along with the experts of Aga Khan and Indus hospital to Sukkur to inspect the facilities. "I am sparing my jet and it would fly you back to Karachi in a day," the chief minister told the WHO and others.

The CM Sindh said that despite financial constraints he was providing necessary funds to the hospitals for developing isolation centers and quarantine facilities in every district of the province.

The Sindh Chief Minister said that the World Bank has agreed to divert its $10 million fund its Sindh Resilence Project to Coroanvirus Support Programme being launched by Sindh government.

He directed the chief secretary to utilize the amount for purchase of necessary equipments such as ventilators, oxygen cylinders, beds and other gadgets.

It was also pointed out that $25 million were being made available by the World Bank to contain coronavirus to Sindh.

Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi told the chief minister that two new cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed on Saturday afternoon.

The patient has travel history and came from Saudi Arabia to Karachi. This is the emergence of new case the number pf patients has reached to 16.

One case of today has travel history of Saudi Arabia while the other patient's father had travel history and transferred the virus to his young child. The health dept has also taken the sample of the father. The case is from Karachi.

There are 16 cases in Sindh, of them only one was locally transmitted. At this the chief minister said that this was very dangerous. "This is why I am continuously pursuing the matter to contain coronavirus," he said and added this was why he was banning all kind of social, political and religious gatherings all over Sindh.

The chief minister was told that 26 samples have been sent for lab test and their results were awiated. Sindh health department has conducted 282 tests, out them 267 have been decalred as negative while 16 have been diagnosed as positive.

At present, 31 pilgrims have been put in quarantine at their home, of them 11 would complete their isolation period on March 18, two on March 16, five in March 17 and 12 on March 12.

Secretary Health told the chief minister that 3300 passengers landed at Jinnah Terminal till late evening of Friday. Out of 3300 passengers seven were deemed as suspects and they have been kept in quarantine and their samples have also been taken for lab test.

In another meeting of Provincial Disaster Mangement Authority, the chief minister directed them to develop a taluka-wise data of families so that in case on any emergency or lock down people could be helped and taken care of.

The chief minister directed to develop 35 field hospitals equipped with all the required gadgets and doctors and para-medical staff so that they could be sent at the palce of need. He also urged the PDMA to make arrangement for food, water and other items for quarantine centers.

The chief minister also decided to establish quarantine center in every district headquarter in the hospital buildings recently constructed by yet to be functionalized.

He also directed Minister labout to hand over labour apartments recently constructed in Kotri, Nooriabad, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad for setting up Isolation Centers.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah flew to a hospital located at the outskirt of the city where he visited a newly established quarantine center.

He went bed to bed and witnessed the facilities of oxygen, ventilators, bed and other facilities newly purchased through Indus Hospital.

Prof Dr Bari of Indus hospital briefed the chief minister about the arrangements and the medical and pra medical staff posted there. The expressed satisfaction and urged him to develop such facilities/Isolation centers in every district headquarter.

On the instruction of the chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah the Information and Religious Affairs Minister Syed Nasir Shah held separate meetings with Ulema of different school of thought and sects here at CM House and took them into confidence about the decisions taken by the provincial government.

He urged them to support the provincial government which was taking drastic measures to save the people of Sindh in general and Pakistan in particular.

"The purpose the chief minister to contain transmission from one person to another, therefore ban on social, political and religious gatherings have been imposed," he said.

The Ulema lauded the efforts the chief minister and assured him of their support.