ISLAMABAD: National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Thursday announced six-day Eid holidays in the country amid COVID surge besides also adopting a stay home, stay safe strategyThe NCOC meeting headed by Asad Umar on Thursday reviewed oxygen supplies in the country, COVID-19 vaccination process, Eid policy and restrictions on international flights. The NCOC announced Eid holidays in the country from 10-15 May with tourism spots, public parks, and small bazars to remain close on the occasion. The details issued by the body in a notification further said that other than essential services all shops, businesses and markets will remain shut during the Eid holidays. On the other hand, bakeries, fruit and vegetable shops, grocery, medical stores, vaccination centres will remain open during the holidays. The guidelines for Youm-e-Ali (RA), aitekaf, Shabe-e-Qadr would be issued on May 01. Other than this, the NCOC gave a nod to importing oxygen and its cylinders in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases in the country. The country would import 6,000 metric tons of oxygen and 5,000 cylinders. It is pertinent to mention here that the industries ministry has decided to import oxygen cylinders and concentrators and has conveyed the decision to the National Command Operations Centre (NCOC). The decision-making body on the COVID situation also decided to restrict international flights to Pakistan from May 5 to May 20 as a review of the decision would be made in a meeting on May 18. An earlier report in this regard noted that NCOC called for reducing international flight operations in the country by 80 percent. The CAA will issue detailed instructions regarding reducing international flights, the NCOC said. Furthermore, the NCOC meeting also gave its nod to begin vaccination for the age group 40-49 the country from May 03.
