The National Command and Operations Center (NCOC) has decided to open the tourism sector across the country under certain SOPs from May 24.
On the other hand, provinces have been told to refrain from reopening educational institutions in districts with high COVID-19 infection rates.
On Saturday, a statement issued by the NCOC said that the government had decided to open the tourism sector under SOPs under which hotels and guesthouses will be required to seek negative reports from tourists.
The statement said that hotels and guest houses are also required to ask for identity cards from tourists, and those who have been vaccinated will have to submit a vaccination certificate.
According to the NCOC statement, no room without a vaccination certificate will be booked for persons above 50 years of age. After July 1, hotel staff will not provide rooms without a vaccination certificate to persons above 40 years of age.
According to the NCOC, a room can be booked for a single servant or for two adults and children. Tour operators and hotel management will be required to provide data on all travellers. Tests, quarantine, and vaccination policy for foreign tourists. Must be implemented.
According to the NCOC, health declaration forms will be filled up by tourists at the entrances of tourist destinations, ensuring an adequate number of passenger masks and sanitisers before visiting tourist destinations.
The NCOC has also directed the concerned agencies to ensure fines and other penalties for the implementation of SOPs.
SCHOOLS: The NCOC said schools must remain closed till June 6.
“The districts where the infection rate is less — below 5% — can reopen educational institutions (on May 24),” NCOC said in a notification sent to the provinces.
A cap of 5% positivity ratio will be applicable for reopening of schools; if a district has an infection rate higher than the limit, educational institutes there are barred from reopening.
However, considering the prevailing disease situation across various districts, the education sector in high disease districts will remain closed till June 6, according to a notification issued by the command centre. The education sector in the districts with more than five percent ratio to be re-opened on June 7 subject to review planned on June 3.
Therefore, education sectors in high disease districts may not be opened from May 24 onwards. All federating units are requested to issue notifications accordingly by May 21. According to the notification, a total of 52 districts across the country were closed due to a positivity ratio higher than five percent.
In Sindh, the districts include Badin, Dadu, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Sukkur, Benazirabad, and all districts of Karachi. In Balochistan, educational institutions would remain closed in Quetta till June 6, while four districts of Azad Jammu Kashmir, including Muzafarabad, Ponch, Bagh, and Sadhnoti.
In Punjab, the districts were included Attock, Bahawalpur, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Khanewal, Khushab, Lahore, Layyah, Lodhran, Mianwali, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Okara, Rahim Yar Khan, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, and Toba Tek Singh.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 14 districts have a high positivity ratio, including Abbottabad, Bannu, Buner, Charsadda, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Haripur, Kohat, Karam, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Swabi, and Swat. While the Islamabad Capital Territory was also among the districts with a high positivity ratio.
VACCINATION FOR 30 PLUS
In a Tweet, the National Command and Operation Centre has announced to begin vaccination for 30-40 years of age from Saturday. The officials urged the people between this age group to register themselves by sending CNIC to 1166. On receiving SMS, visit the mentioned vaccination centre on given date or afterward and get vaccinated, the NCOC said.