Confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan soar to 200,000

KARACHI: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan has surged to 200,000 while the death toll stands at  4,098.

According to the National Command and Control Center (NCOC), more than 5,348 cases of coronavirus were reported while 37 people succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours.

As many as 86,978 patients have recovered from the disease, while the country is still witnessing a consistent rise in the COVID-19 cases. As per details, 21 percent of the cases have foreign travel history while 79 percent of the cases are reported to be locally transmitted.

There have been 72,976 cases so far been detected in Punjab, 78,267 in Sindh, 25,380 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 10,261 in Balochistan, 12,206 Islamabad, 1,423 in Gilgit Baltistan and 1,003 in Azad Kashmir. 

Out of a total of 4,098 deaths, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 891 deaths, Sindh 1,206, Balochistan 114, Gilgit-Baltistan 24, Punjab 1,657, Azad Kashmir 30 and Islamabad Capital Territory has reported 121 deaths.

Pakistan became the 12th country in the world where the coronavirus infections have surged past 200,000, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. So far 4,098 fatalities have been recorded from the virus.

The country crossed the grim landmark as the infection rate multiplied manifold over the past few weeks after the government eased lockdown restrictions last month, allowing big markets and shopping plazas to open.

The Pakistan Medical Association and other health organizations had warned the government against lifting restrictions and advised the authorities to re-impose complete lockdown in order to stem the spread of the virus.

However, “to maintain a balance between life and livelihood”, the government had adopted the strategy of “smart lockdown” through which virus hotspots in 20 cities were sealed.

According to the latest government projections, coronavirus cases in the country may be limited to 225,000 by the end of June if people continue to take strict precautions — the number was earlier expected to reach 300,000.

The National Command and Operations Centre held an important session on Saturday, discussing the smart lockdown imposed in several areas and the observance of preventive measures by the public.

According to an official statement had released after the meeting, it was mentioned that Sindh conducted the lowest number of tests while Punjab also followed the trend with a downward trajectory.

On June 21, 30,520 tests were conducted while on June 26, the number dropped to 21,033, as per the statement. In the session, provincial chief secretaries and health secretary had participated via video link.