KARACHI: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has surged to 144,399 in Pakistan, while the death toll stands at 2,729.
According to the National Command and Control Center (NCOC), more than 5,248 cases of coronavirus were reported while 97 people succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours.
As many as 53,721 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 54,138 cases so far been detected in Punjab, 53,805 in Sindh, 18,013 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 8,177 in Balochistan, 8,569 in Islamabad, 1,129 in Gilgit Baltistan and 647 in Azad Kashmir.
Out of a total of 2,729 deaths, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 675 deaths, Sindh 831, Balochistan 85, Gilgit-Baltistan 16, Punjab 1,031, Azad Kashmir 13 and Islamabad Capital Territory has reported 78 deaths.
Earlier on Sunday, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said that wearing masks is mandatory for slowing down the spread of coronavirus as some studies suggest that the coronavirus outbreak could decrease by 50 percent by covering the mouth alone.
He also warned that the confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus could double by the end of this month and reach 1 to 1.2 million by the end of July.
Read more: Asad Umar says curbing COVID-19 spread is govt’s top priority
