The National Command and Operation Centre, which serves as the centre of the country’s unified efforts to contain the spread of novel coronavirus, on Tuesday decided to extend the already enforced coronavirus-induced restrictions in the country till February 21 in cities with over 10 per cent Covid positivity ratio.

According to a statement issued by the NCOC, "Curbs will remain in place in six cities where the positivity rate is more than 10 per cent that includes Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Mardan, Karachi, Hyderabad, and Peshawar."

The forum carried out a detailed stock of the disease situation and the non-pharmaceutical interventions currently being enforced.

"In view of improved disease trends, NPIs are being eased out for cities with less than 10 per cent positivity," the statement read, adding that indoor and outdoor gatherings have been allowed in such cities (having Covid positivity ratio less than 10%) with a maximum limit of 300 and 500 fully vaccinated individuals. Similar rules have also been applied to weddings.

"Indoor and outdoor dining has been allowed for fully vaccinated individuals, while takeaway has been allowed around the clock. Gyms, cinemas, shrines and amusement parks will be open for fully vaccinated individuals. All forms of sports have also been allowed for fully jabbed citizens," it read.

The statement further read that schools would remain open for all students with Covid protocols.

Less than 3,000 Covid cases reported for second consecutive day

Pakistan has reported less than 3,000 coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours for the second consecutive day, as the first phase of the countrywide door-to-door vaccination campaign enters the last day of its two-week drive.

“Statistics 15 Feb 22: total tests in last 24 hours: 48,037; positive cases: 2,597; positivity %: 5.40%; deaths: 27; patients on critical care: 1,588,” the National Command and Operation Centre said in a tweet on Tuesday. A day earlier, the country had reported 2,662 cases with a positivity ratio of 5.62%.

The development comes a day after the country reached “the vaccination milestone” as the total vaccine doses administered surpassed the 200 million mark. The health ministry and the NCOC had shared the development on social media on Monday.

“Together, we can turn the tide against Covid-19 by getting fully vaccinated,” the health ministry said.

The countrywide tally showed that Sindh reported the maximum number of cases with 560,036 infected patients, followed by Punjab (496,134), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (211,112), Islamabad (133,277), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (42,042), Balochistan (35,111), and Gilgit Baltistan (11,246).

The federal government on February 1 started the first phase of a “massive” two-week-long door-to-door vaccination campaign countrywide to inoculate more than 35 million people as part of the country’s efforts to get ‘rid of the virus’ and return to normalcy.

“As many as 55,000 mobile teams will take part in this campaign that will be conducted across the country. We have trained them and arranged vaccines for them,” NCOC head Asad Umar had said during a press conference, he was addressing with Special Assistant to the PM on Health Faisal Sultan, in Islamabad.