KARACHI: The Sindh government has written a letter to the National Command and Operation Centre requesting it to block in a phased manner the mobile phones of people refusing to get Covid-19 jabs.
The decision to write the letter was taken during a meeting of the provincial coronavirus task force which was chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.
In the first phase, unvaccinated people would be warned via SMS while, in the second phase, their access to social media would be restricted.
Blocking outgoing calls in the third phase, the province will block the mobile phones in the fourth and final stage.
The decision to block mobile phones was taken first by the Punjab government in June in a move to penalise the unvaccinated. Soon after, Sindh decided to follow suit.
“At first this was only a proposal, but people have been very hesitant in getting vaccinated so the decision was made,” said Hammad Raza, spokesman for Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, said at the time.
He said the state telecoms agency will decide how to implement the measure.
A fourth wave of infections has begun to stabilise after weeks of tough restrictions, and demand for vaccination has slowed.
The nationwide vaccination rollout has ramped up in recent weeks with more than 600,000 doses administered most days. Almost 24 million doses have been administered.
But concerns about the side effects of the jab, coupled with misinformation that it causes infertility or death within two years, have sparked vaccine hesitancy.
“Pakistan’s education level is low. People are also spreading rumours and misinformation about the vaccines,” Salman Haseeb, the head of Young Doctor’s Association, told AFP.
“So information campaigns by the government won’t work for the short-term. They will have to make use of the law to ensure everyone gets vaccinated.”
RESTRICTIONS RETURN:
Meanwhile, the province has decided to reimpose coronavirus restrictions from Monday, suspending indoor and outdoor dining at restaurants and curbing market timings following an uptick in infections.
In a meeting of the provincial coronavirus task force on Friday, it was decided that shopping malls and markets will be allowed to remain open between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm. However, the restriction on timings will not apply to grocery stores, bakeries and pharmacies.
All educational institutions are to remain closed from Monday, but assessments will be held as per schedule.
There will be a complete ban on marriage functions at wedding halls and other events, as well as indoor and outdoor dining. Eateries, however, will be allowed to provide takeaway services.
Shrines, too, will remain closed, while Fridays and Saturdays will be observed as safe days.
Offices and in public and private sectors will be allowed to remain open with 50 percent occupancy.
— With additional input from AFP
