Pakistan relaxes covid restrictions on transport and commercial activities

ISLAMABAD, 

May 16 (Language) Pakistan on Sunday began relaxing the covid restrictions imposed on transport and business activities. They were banned for a week to prevent the spread of the virus during the Eid holidays. The ban is being extended even as the country's corona virus infection rate rose to 7.83 per cent on Sunday, down from about five per cent a day earlier. This was the first time in two months that the infection rate was recorded so low. All businesses and public transport were banned from May 10 to 16 to prevent movement of people during eid-ul-fitr holidays to prevent viruses.

The National Command and Operation Theatre (NCOC) decided to restart public transports from Sunday. Restrictions on parvihan have been relaxed so that people from far away places can return and start going to offices and other duties from Monday when business institutions also open.

Lockdown has proved effective in preventing the virus as only 1,531 new cases were reported on Saturday and the infection rate was only 5.8 per cent, the lowest since March 8. But with 2,379 cases reported in the last 24 hours, the covid-19 cases in the country have gone up to 8,77,130. According to the National Health Service Ministry, the death toll has increased to 19,43. The government has also started registration for vaccination of people aged 30 years and above.