LAHORE: Pursuant to the direction of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) to restrict the movement of the people during the Eid holidays, the Punjab government has decided to enforce a complete lockdown in the province from May 8.

Public transport and tourist destinations would remain closed and police, rangers and army personnel would be deployed at the checkpoints to be set up at the entry and exit points of cities.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Provincial Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid at the Civil Secretariat, here on Wednesday.

Chief Secretary Punjab, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), administrative secretaries of relevant departments including Health, Industries, Information, the Commissioner Lahore Division, Director General Public Relations, and civil and military officials attended the meeting. Speaking at the meeting, Dr Yasmeen Rashid said the next 15 to 20 days were very crucial in controlling the pandemic. She urged the citizens to extend cooperation in the government’s efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus and ensure the implementation of SOPs. She also appealed to the people to celebrate Eid with simplicity, keeping in view the present situation of the epidemic. People should prove themselves to be responsible citizens by taking all precautions, she added.

The Chief Secretary Punjab said the purpose of giving more holidays on the occasion of Eid was to limit the movement of the people. He said that awareness among the people about the importance of precautionary measures should be increased. He said that citizens should stay at home during Eid holidays and avoid unnecessary travel. He said that as per the instructions of NCOC, public transport, parks, and tourist places would be kept completely closed during the holidays.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021