Furthermore, the NCOC ordered specific guidelines for mosques, including shorter sermons for Jumma prayer, mandatory mask wearing, removal of carpets, maintaining six-feet social distancing, and opening of doors and windows for ventilation.
All schools in areas with Covid-19 positivity rates will also remain closed for one week, as per the new guidelines.
According to NCOC data, 35 per cent of the total population and 52 per cent of the eligible population have been vaccinated.
New reported coronavirus cases have dropped slightly, with 6,540 new cases reported in the past 24-hours, while the positivity rate remains slightly above 11 per cent.
The number of Covid-19 patients needing critical care has increased in the past day, however. At least 1,055 patients required critical care due to coronavirus yesterday, up from 961 people the day prior.
On Friday, Pakistan recorded its highest number of new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. For the past three days, over 6,500 new infections have been reported every day.
The NCOC had issued new guidelines on Wednesday, requiring varying degrees of restrictions based on district and municipal positivity rates. Indoor gatherings, including at weddings and restaurants, were to be banned in areas with a Covid positivity rate higher than 10 per cent.