As coronavirus situation started worsening in Pakistan, the Islamabad administration on Saturday made the wearing of masks in public mandatory.

The Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqat announced that section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) has been put in place for the implementation of the order.

The district administration warned that legal action will be taken against those neglecting the rule.

The rule will remain in place for the next two months, it said.

Moreover, five sectors of the Capital city have been declared coronavirus "hotspots" and will be sealed tomorrow. Those sectors include G-6/2, Sector G-9/1, G-10/4, I-8/3 and I/8-4.

Pakistan's coronavirus situation has taken a turn for the worse, with total cases zooming past 600,000 to hit 602,536 in the last 24 hours.

The situation is alarming as only a month ago, the cases stood at 500,000.

In past 24 hours, 2,338 people tested positive across the country and 46 people died. Oxygen bed occupancy has also spiked, with Gujrat reporting a 100% occupation.