ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Center has called for banning large public gatherings and enhancing restrictions in high risk areas due to COVID-19 resurge.

The NCOC meeting, chaired by Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar in Islamabad today (Wednesday), reviewed the epidemic curve data and disease prevalence in the country.

The forum suggested certain urgent measures to National Coordination Committee to check spread of the pandemic.

These measures include ban on all public gatherings of more than five hundred people, early and extended winter vacations; closure of cinemas, theatres and shrines with immediate effect; and only outdoor dining till 10 pm at restaurants and take away.

Issuing guidelines about marriage ceremonies, the NCOC decided that only outdoor marriages with upper limit of five hundred people will be allowed from 20th of this month.

The forum was told that the disease had increased three folds since the NCOC recommended to ban large public gatherings and outdoor activities on 12th of the last month and third of this month to the National Coordination Committee for its final decision.

The forum was briefed that there is increasing positivity ratio in educational institutions and there is a need to check this trend.

The forum decided that on 16th of this month, the Federal Minister for Education would chair a special meeting at NCOC with provincial education ministers on board to assess and review the positivity prevailing in educational institutions.

After consultative discussions, the recommendations would be shared with the provinces for consequent decision and enforcement.