Lahore (Web Desk): The Punjab government on Monday extended smart lockdown in selective districts till August 31 to control the fourth outbreak of COVID-19.
According to a health department notification issued on Sunday, only outdoor weddings will be allowed with maximum 300 guests under strict Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) and “there shall be a complete ban on indoor weddings”.
It also banned indoor gatherings including cultural, musical /religious and other events. “However outdoor gatherings shall be allowed for maximum 300 individuals under strict Covid protocols,” it added.
The new orders will come into effect immediately, it added.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government has relaxed the Covid-19 restrictions put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus amid the fourth wave of the pandemic fuelled by the more contagious Delta variant of the virus.
A notification issued on Sunday by the provincial home department said that markets and business activities can continue till 8pm instead of 6pm.
It said that the ban on indoor dining would continue however, outdoor dining will be allowed under strict Covid-19 protocol till 10pm. "Take away and home delivery are allowed 24/7," it added.
The notification said that the closure of shrines and cinemas would continue in the province whereas the ban on contact sports would also be maintained.
It said that the routine work would continue in public and private sector offices. However, attendance would be reduced from 100%to 50%.
On the other hand, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 1,071,620 on Monday after 4,720 new coronavirus cases surfaced in the country during the last 24 hours.
As per the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data, 53,528 tests were conducted in last 24 hours while positivity ratio remained 7.54%.
According to the government's COVID-19 portal, the death toll related to coronavirus has reached to 23,918 with 53 fatalities reported during the last 24 hours.
Over the last twenty four hours, total number of recovered COVID-19 patients across the country reached 964,404 after another 2,765 virus recoveries were reported.