PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday directed clerics to hold Friday congregations in mosques two shifts as a precautionary measure against coronavirus.

The government departments issued a raft of guidelines on how to prevent the virus, whose confirmed cases in the province total 15.

The Auqaf administrator issued directions to prayer leaders to arrange Friday congregations in two shifts to avoid big gatherings over the fears of coronavirus.

The clerics were also told to pray in open spaces and increase distances among the rows of worshippers and discourage children and the elderly from coming to mosques for being highly vulnerable to the virus.

The administrator urged prayer leaders to encourage the faithful to offer the sunnat and nafl prayers at home and highlight the importance of hygiene and precautionary measures against diseases in sermons.

Depts issue guidelines on how to prevent coronavirus

He also called for longer row distances in funeral prayers and discouragement of unnecessary gatherings.

Meanwhile, the relief, rehabilitation and settlement department issued a notification asking administrative secretaries to identify non-essential directorates and attached institutions for closure of 15 days in a bid to control spread of coronavirus.

It said the secretaries would also identify non-essential and non-critical staff within the departments and in directorates, attached departments, authorities, semi-autonomous bodies and district offices and that such staff may be allowed not to attend office for 15 days.

The notification said where an office was considered essential, bare minimum or skeletal staff would be allowed to show up to carry out essential work.

“Employees having more than 50 years of age and a serious co-morbidity such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes would be granted leave for the next 15 days,” it said, adding that the pregnant female employees would be granted leave for the next 15 days.

The notification said all official visitors would first be urged to discuss the matter on phone, and come in person if that’s extremely essential.

It added that all non-official visitors would preferably be dealt at reception desks, while the information department would inform the people that a ban on visiting offices for the next 15 days was in the offing.

The notification said all teaching and administrative staff would not attend the institutions, except medical colleges and Khyber Medical University staff, which are required for clinical, pathological and radiological purposes connected with patient care.

“Also the administrative and non-clinical staff will not be in attendance,” it said.

The notification said though private ceremonies had already been banned in wedding halls and marquees, there would be a ban on all such functions in the open.

It added that processes of all tests and interviews for all recruitments except essential services and first responders would also stand deferred.

Also in the day, the administration department ordered the issuance of an advisory to all members of the provincial assembly to avoid social gatherings at their residences and hujras, while the establishment department will also direct all provincial government employees to ensure social distancing, advocate the same to the people around them and avoid all such gatherings in private lives, where there was a risk of not ensuring social distancing.

Also, the home department closed its arms licence section and licence branches in deputy commissioners’ offices in all districts until further orders.

The police also suspended all training activities until April 5 due to the virus outbreak.

KP chief minister Mahmood Khan also announced two months remission for prisoners kept in the prisons of the province.

However, the relief isn’t for those involved in terrorism and anti-state activities.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2020