NCOC announces Sindh will end COVID-19 lockdown on August 9

The forum lauded the efforts by the Sindh government to curb the coornavirus pandemic, a statement issued here said.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar chaited the meeting that was participated by Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, General Hamood and other team members.

Accoridng to the statement the coronavirus situation in Sindh, particularly in Karachi, "was discussed at length" and that a need for "better coordination" and an "enhanced interaction at all levels" was emphasised.

The NCOC participants decided that Sindh would follow the non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI)- based guidelines the forum had announced for 13 high infection rate cities earlier this week, which include Karachi and Hyderabad.

The matter of the reopening of Sindh's schools and leftover exams will be discussed in the upcoming meeting of the Inter Provincial Education Ministerial Conference (IPEMC).

The NCOC emphsazied the need for the implementation of safety precautions in view of Muharramul Haram. 

The forum suggested the enforceemnt of smart lockdowns in high disease prevalence areas.