At least Hundred and three restaurants and six marriage halls in Karachi have been shut down by the authorities for not following the health guidelines and prevention of COVID-19, said the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday.

The command centre warned that such establishments were "emerging as the epicentre of the disease" and directed authorities in all provinces and federation units. including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, to keep a check that SOPs are being followed in these places.

Minister for planning Asad Umar also warned against indoor restaurants acting as hotspots for the spread of COVID-19. In a tweet on Thursday, Umar said:

"Indoor Restaurants & marriage halls emerging as high contributors to COVID spread. NCOC today has directed all provinces and federating units to crack down on sop violations in these places. We must not allow [the] irresponsible behaviour of some to put the health of everyone at risk."

The command centre had decided to re-open marriage halls and restaurants in August after considering the declined COVID positivity rate and economic impact of keeping these places closed. The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry had also urged the federal cabinet committee on coronavirus to re-open these establishments for business.