Covid-19 confirmed cases soar to 26,806 across Pakistan

The province-wise break up of the total number of cases as of 4:55pm, on May 8, is as follows: Punjab is on top with 10,033 cases, followed by Sindh with 9,691 cases, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 4,327, Balochistan 1,725, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) 558 cases, Gilgit-Baltistan 394 cases, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) 78 cases.

So far, coronavirus has claimed 622 lives in Pakistan of which 221 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 176 in Sindh, 194 in Punjab, 24 in Balochistan, three in Gilgit-Baltistan and four in ICT.

According to officials, so far out of 26,648 patients in Pakistan, more than 7,500 patients have recovered from the disease.

Meanwhile, following the rise in the Covid-19 cases in Punjab, the provincial government has asked the federal government not to ease restrictions in major cities.

According to Punjab Information Minister Fayyaz Chohan, "If the federation agrees then lockdown will be in place in big cities."

He added that the federal government's SOPs were being followed in the province.

Officials have recorded more than 3.95 million cases, and more than 271,719 deaths worldwide, since the virus emerged in China, in December 2019.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Department reported 12 new deaths taking the nationwide death toll to 622, while provincial toll to 221.

The KP Health Department reported 371 new cases were registered across the province in the last 24 hours, which took the provincial tally to 4,327 cases.

Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah, while announcing to relax lockdown from Monday during a press conference has explained that shops will stay open from Fajr till 5pm, and select outpatient departments (OPDs) in hospitals will also be opened.

He said the provincial government has already allowed 660 factories to resume operations on the Centre's instruction.

He said neighbourhood shops, except shopping centres and departmental stores, will be allowed to do business. Murad said the Centre and the provincial government are working together despite some differences.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020

Read Comments