PESHAWAR: The government has shut all the educational institutions, wedding halls and hostels for 15 days amid rising cases of coronavirus in the country, however, it is yet to impose ban weekly automobile bazaars, cattle fairs and wedding ceremonies in the residential localities.

Following a decision of the provincial cabinet, the administration has sealed hundreds of places in the provincial capital. According to Peshawar Assistant Commissioner Sara Rahman, at least 208 locations including wedding halls, cinemas, swimming pools, parking lots and student hostels have been checked and in many places people voluntarily shut the venues.

However, it was learnt that the marriage ceremonies were shifted from the wedding halls to hujras in the residential localities where hundreds of people interacted with each other in such events without taking any precautionary measures.

The Sunday bazaar in Hayatabad was also closed in the morning at a time when people were busy in shopping. The vendors said that they had not received any prior notice in that regard.

People attend weekly vehicles bazaar, wedding ceremonies without any check

The well-attended weekly motorcars show on Ring Road near Hayatabad was also held as per routine with no check from the authorities concerned. Ms Rahman said that the motorcar fair would not be allowed next week. She added that there was no ban on marriage ceremonies at private locations.

Khalid Ayub, a representative of the wedding hall owners, said that about 120 registered wedding halls were closed only in Peshawar.

He described the restriction a discriminatory action, saying that restaurants and bazaars were open but only educational institutions and wedding halls were closed. He said that the decision would cause huge financial losses to the owners.

Moreover, Bacha Khan International Airport has been closed for international flights and all coming air traffic has been diverted to Islamabad. An official said that the airport would handle only domestic flights.

Meanwhile, KP Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department issued some general precautionary measures and guidelines to be adopted at the facilities that could not be vacated.

According to a notification issued here on Sunday, the facilities include orphanages, women shelter homes, women crisis centres and foreign student hostels.

The general precautionary measures include increasing social distance.

The notification said that minimum or no activity would be allowed at playgrounds.

The occupants at the television rooms and community halls would be informed about the hazards of handshake, hugs and traditional gatherings in the prevailing fear of spread of coronavirus along with an explicit advice of avoiding the same.

Similar action will be taken for joint use apparatus and facilities such as washrooms, ablution points, television rooms, mess and community halls etc.

For the moment, biometric attendance, if applicable, has been stopped immediately. The doors and windows will not be touched without using gloves, tissue papers or handkerchief.

Any person showing symptoms of the disease will be immediately shifted to isolation ward. In addition all towels from all bathrooms should be removed and replaced with paper towels, where required.

Washing of hands by all, with soap, must be made compulsory every three to four hours. Washing should be at least for 20 seconds. For mess, mechanism of shifts for breakfast, lunch and dinner may be adopted. Each shift may comprise of 5 to 10 individuals only.

It stated that temperature should be checked on movements, where randomly possible, and provision of essential items should remain open during particular hours, but should be strictly regulated to ensure everyone kept out of touch-contact.

Notification advised deployment of appropriate types of trained professionals with necessary skill sets to regularly check on them. The relevant officials were asked to ensure regular monitoring of all staff deployed for the purpose for symptoms.

Gloves and masks should be provided and administration must ensure each such individual is identified, with duty hours and where off-duty hours are spent.

All conditions of individual quarantine will apply to them at the facility, or of groups if residing in a hostel, or a joint-living accommodation with other workers, or individuals. A vigorous system of monitoring should be adopted during duty hours towards development of symptoms.

Where required, provision of sanitised transport to and from work to the staff should be arranged and specific precautionary measures at the facilities that could not be vacated should be put in place.

All the staff or persons that are in contact with the kitchens shall be briefed by the supervisor of the facility so that the staff or persons will wash hands before handling any kitchenware or kitchen equipment.

The use of polythene bags will be discouraged, and wherever such use is inevitable, it should be brought from outside to a specific point in such facility.

Remote control of television or the keys of television should be used after washing or sanitising hands. These should be properly covered, and the cover should be replaced daily whereas the books, toys and bags ought to be used only after hands are washed in the prescribed manner.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2020