KARACHI: The Sindh Home Office has issued a new notice allowing restaurants across the province to run their takeaway services until 1am daily, after which they only offer home delivery during the late evening hours.
According to the government notification, restaurants are allowed to offer outdoor dining services until 10 p.m., followed by take-out service until 1 a.m., and home delivery afterwards.
The provincial government has issued a revised notification in accordance with the powers granted to it under Article 3 (1) of the 2014 Sindh Epidemic Disease Law. The order will take effect immediately and will remain in effect until 31 January.
Fifteen days ago the interior department issued an amended notice revising the working hours of retail stores and markets in the province during the ongoing coronavirus emergency.
According to the notice, businesses, commercial centers and markets in the province are allowed to do business six days a week, and all retail shops and markets are allowed to stay open until 8pm.
Retailers and entrepreneurs are asked to close their businesses once a week, either on Friday or Sunday. Restaurants and other dining establishments are permitted to conduct business either by way of dining outdoors, take-out or delivery home until 10pm daily.
In addition, all the administrative departments of the Sindh government are directed to reduce their office staff by 50 percent on weekly turns given the state of the coronavirus emergency in force in the province. Everyone present at the office is told to wear a mask during working hours.
A day earlier, loosening its lockdown order against the spread of the coronavirus after criticism from traders and opposition leaders, the provincial government had given permission for markets and retail shops to stay open until 8pm daily.
In his tweet, government spokesman Barrister Murtaza Wahab announced the permit and expressed hope that market associations, retail shop owners and the public would ensure adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs) recommended by the government against the spread of the coronavirus.
He said the provincial government would monitor the extent to which the Corona virus anti-virus SOP was monitored. He said that every citizen, including retailers and buyers, is obliged to wear a mask during market working hours.
Traders and retailers have demanded an extension of their daily working hours after 6pm by changing the latest lockdown orders from the provincial government.
