Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar has warned the nation that if it does not change the current path then the country may lose both lives and livelihoods due to an increase in coronavirus death rate.

In a tweet on Tuesday, the minister said last week's COVID-19 mortality was 12 which is a 140 percent increase as compared to the last few weeks. He continued that this is the result of the nation collectively committing a blunder by recklessly ignoring all coronavirus Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

"If we do not change our current path we will lose both lives and livelihoods," Umar warned.

While addressing the ceremony of ‘Clean Green Index of 19 Competing Cities of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’ on Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan had voiced similar concerns warning that he fears there might be another spike of COVID-19 in cities where the rate of pollution increases in October and November.

In cities like Faisalabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, and Gujranwala where there is more pollution, there might be a second spike in coronavirus cases," the PM said.

On Monday, the country reported 433 new coronavirus cases and five deaths. Pakistan has reported 323,452 cases and 6,659 deaths so far. The country has also reported 307,409 recoveries.