- Coronavirus death toll in Pakistan has risen to 19
- The country’s virus tally has crossed 1,650
- Punjab has enacted Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Ordinance
- Countries are extending their lockdown periods
- Lockdown lifting in Pakistan remains unclear as well
Warning that the US death rate is likely to peak in two weeks, President Trump has extended social distancing guidelines through April 30. Authorities in the UK have also made it clear that some lockdown measures in Britain could last months and be gradually lifted. Both countries are seeing a swift spike in positive cases with the US overtaking China and Italy in terms of confirmed cases and the UK being the 8th most-affected country.
In Pakistan too, the duration of lockdowns remains uncertain. On Sunday, Balochistan CM Jam Kamal announced that the lockdown in the province would continue for another week or more. The AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider also warned that a curfew could be imposed if people failed to follow the lockdown instructions and take the pandemic seriously. CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah also made similar hints on Sunday. Closure of all educational institutions nationwide has already been extended till May 31.
The Punjab government promulgated the Punjab Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Ordinance, 2020 on Sunday in the wake of the novel coronavirus spread in Pakistan. The ordinance will enable the government to reinforce precautionary measures for the prevention and control of COVID-19 on the public.
The virus has claimed 19 lives so far in Pakistan with the latest 2 deaths recorded in Punjab: one of the deceased was a 63-year-old man with a recent travel history to the UK, while the other was a 55-year-old woman from Taxila. The country’s tally has crossed 1,650, jumping by at least by a hundred every day.
Here are the latest updates:
1.30 pm
Pakistan has reported 5 new Covid-19 deaths so far today
Pakistan’s Covid-19 fatalities have jumped by 5 to 21 today.
2 deaths were reported in Punjab, 2 in Sindh, and 1 death was recorded in GB.
1.00 pm
Another patient dies in Lahore’s Mayo hospital
A 41-year-old coronavirus patient died after testing positive in Lahore. He had underlying conditions when he was isolated in a ward at Mayo hospital.
12.00 pm
Punjab reports 45 new cases
45 new Covid-19 cases have been reported in Punjab.
This takes Punjab’s provincial tally to 638.
11.45 am
Another airliner carrying Chinese aid reaches Karachi
Another fresh shipment of Covid-19 related medical supplies has reached Karachi.
This is the 5th plane to bring medical equipment to Pakistan.
11.30 am
Sindh govt to launch Mobile Registration System for cash disbursement to needy
The Sindh Ministry of Interior, in a letter to the Finance Division, has expressed intent to launch a Mobile Registration System for disbursement of cash to the needy people.
“The plan is to register all needy people who intend to avail this facility and then get it verified by Nadra authorities that only one person from a family gets the facility as there is likelihood that whole family may register separately,” the letter read.
The communication requested the finance division to direct the concerned authorities – i.e. Nadra, FIA, FBR, and SBP – to give concurrence so the plan can be initiated at the earliest.
11.00 am
Rawalpindi reports 2 coronavirus deaths
Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Anwarul Haq has confirmed the death of two more people due to coronavirus.
One of the deceased was a 63-year-old man with a recent travel history to the UK. The other was a 55-year-old woman from Taxila who was also diabetic.
10.30 am
NEW CASES: Islamabad 8, GB 12
Eight new confirmed coronavirus cases have emerged in Islamabad, according to the government’s Covid-19 portal.
Gilgit Baltistan too has recorded another addition of 12 new cases to its tally.
These bring ICT total to 51 and AJK/GB total to 128.
10.00 am
One more death reported in GB
One more coronavirus death has been reported in GB where a medical staffer succumbed to the virus.
This brings the national toll to 18.
9.00 am
PM Imran orders opening of all highways for goods supplies
Imran Khan has ordered all highways to open for smooth and uninterrupted transportation of goods across the country.
The move aims to ensure an adequate supply of food items from farms and factories to markets to put an end to panic buying that’s currently being observed.
8.30 am
4 new cases emerge in AJK
Azad Jammu and Kashmir has reported 4 new coronavirus cases taking the AJK tally to 6 so far.
this brings the national tally to 1,593.
3.00 am
17 patients test negative in Balochistan
17 coronavirus patients in Balochistan, after spending 14 days in isolation, have tested negative for the virus.
Balochistan CM Jam Kamal confirmed the development ion a tweet.
2.30 am
Punjab records another death
Punjab has recorded one more coronavirus death, taking the national toll to 16.
The deceased was a 68-year-old woman having recently returned from Saudi Arabia.
2.00 am
UK warns lockdowns could last months
UK authorities have warned that some lockdown measures to combat coronavirus in Britain could last months and only be gradually lifted.
Britain has reported 19,522 confirmed cases of the disease and 1,228 deaths from the deadly virus so far.
1.00 am
Sindh to release 400 convicts over virus fears
CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah has approved the release of as many as 4,000 prisoners in a bod to prevent the spread of the Covis-19 pandemic.
For our coronavirus coverage from March 29, click here.
