The National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) has finalized operating hours for cattle markets ahead of Eid ul Adha.
The meeting convened with Federal Minister for Planning, and NCOC Chief Asad Umar decided to allow the markets to operate between 6 am to 7 pm across the country. Provincial chief secretaries also joined the meeting via video link.
Umar acknowledged that the movement of cattle from villages to markets poses a considerable risk, and insisted that secure management of livestock markets is vital to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
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He noted that about 700 cattle markets have been established across the country, adding that the size of the markets will be limited, and the number of people visiting at a time will be restricted.
Cattle Market SOPs Finalized
The meeting reviewed the management of cattle markets and standard operating procedures (SOPs), which have been provided to all relevant departments.
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It decided that no cattle market will be established inside the cities. People coming to markets, both buyers and sellers, will be bound to wear face masks, whereas all visitors will be screened at the entrance.
Applauding effective measures taken by the government to contain the virus, the minister said that Pakistan avoided the deadly contagion from spreading further.
Smart lockdown is in place in 321 locations across the country restricting 300,000 people from spreading the virus.
He added that the NCOC has identified hotspots in three more cities where smart lockdown will be imposed soon.
