KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has announced new coronavirus restrictions for Sindh to control the fifth wave of the pandemic. The health department, on January 15, revealed that the positivity rate reached an alarming 35.5% in Karachi. On Saturday, the provincial government and health authorities met and chalked out the restrictions to control the surge in cases. The meeting decided to keep all educational institutions in the province open. Government employees flouting the SOPs, including the mask-wearing rule, will have to pay a fine to be deducted from their salary. It further decided to conduct a survey of all hospitals, including private and public health facilities, to assess their capacity. CM Murad sought data on beds vacant and occupied at these facilities. He said mask-wearing has been made compulsory at all public places, including wedding halls, markets, and shopping malls. Federal health officials told that they expected the situation in Karachi to change in the coming week as the positivity ratio might hit 50%, leading to an increase in hospitalisations.