Coronavirus cases in Pakistan have crossed 3,500 with at least 52 deaths recorded so far. The trajectory of the outbreak in the country continues to see an inevitable spike with the peak yet to arrive in weeks to come.
More cases were reported from all parts of the country with Punjab recording its highest single-day jump on Sunday. The province stands at about 1,700 confirmed coronavirus cases followed by Sindh, KP, GB, Balochistan, Islamabad, and AJK.
According to the government’s projection, the national tally could rise to 50,000 with fatalities climbing to 5,000 in the next 20 days. Made on the basis of different trends and statistics, the projection does not signify the outbreak’s peak in Pakistan which may still be weeks or months away.
The outbreak shows little fizzling in other parts of the world too. The US is bracing for ‘hardest week’ in coronavirus fight with Surgeon General Jerome Adams likening the situation to the Pearl Harbor and 9/11. Italy and France, however, recorded lower coronavirus deaths on Sunday at 527 and 357 fatalities respectively.
Spain also saw its third consecutive daily decline in the number of people dying from Covid-19 with 674 new deaths.
Here are the latest updates:
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved to intensive care in hospital after his coronavirus symptoms “worsened”, Downing Street has said.
Mr Johnson has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise “where necessary”, a spokesman added.
The prime minister, 55, was admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital in London with “persistent symptoms” on Sunday.
Islamabad has reported its first coronavirus death. The deceased was a 39-year-old woman who was on ventilator for several days.
The National Command and Operation Centre confirmed the death which takes the national toll to 53.
Saudi Arabia imposed on Monday a 24-hour curfew in the capital Riyadh and a number of cities effective immediately and until further notice, as a precautionary measure against coronavirus spread, state news agency (SPA) reported.
The cities are Tabuk, Dammam, Dhahran, Al-Hofuf, Jeddah, Taif, Al-Qatif, Al-Khobar. Entry and exit between cities is still under ban. Residents are allowed to leave their houses only for essential needs inside their residential area, and between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. only, SPA added.
Source: Reuters
Balochistan reported 10 new cases that take its tally to 202.
With another 102 cases, Punjab sees another major spike with its total reaching 1,918.
AJK and GB have reported one new case each.
Meanwhile, CM Punjab Usman Buzdar has said that 8 patients are in critical condition in the province.
France has reported that 833 more people have died of Covid-19 in hospitals and nursing homes over the past 24 hours, its highest daily toll since the epidemic began.
“We have not reached the end of the ascent of this epidemic,” Health Minister Olivier Veran told reporters, as he announced the new toll which brought the total number killed in the coronavirus epidemic in France to 8,911.
The figures were a reminder to France – which has been in lockdown since 17 March in a bid to slow the spread of the virus – of the long road ahead after several days where key data had improved somewhat.
Source: RTE
The COVID-19 death toll in the US has surpassed 10,000 from almost 350,000 coronavirus cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally.
Punjab has reported 132 new cases, confirms its health department. With the new numbers, the tally has climbed to 1,836.
Here’s a breakdown of the cases reported in the province:
Spain has reported 4,273 new cases of the coronavirus with 637 new deaths, the fourth day the daily totals have declined from the previous day.
The total deaths in the country from COVID-19 as of Monday stands at 13,055 among 135,032 cases. The new numbers offer another glimmer of hope in Europe, after Italy on Sunday saw its death toll at its lowest in more than two weeks and its infection curve finally on a downward slope.
On the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (which is today), FIFA, United Nations, and WHO have joined forces to fight coronavirus by supporting the #BeActive campaign.
According to a notification by the home department’s internal security, the government has allowed the opening of:
Read the full story here.
Pakistan’s numbers are far better than what we saw in developed countries like Italy, the US, Spain, France, and others at this stage of the crisis. Part of the reason is the government’s decision to lockdown before the numbers had begun to snowball.
However, the number of new cases will rise as Pakistan’s testing capacity ramps up. While we’ve done well so far, we must not be complacent as Pakistan’s margin for error is very low because of limited healthcare facilities. If we see the same situation as in Italy, for instance, the potential for disaster is magnitudes worse.
See more trends and graphs here.
Sindh govt spokesperson Murtaza Wahab has confirmed two more coronavirus deaths in the province.
The new numbers bring Sindh’s toll to 17 so far.
Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal has said over 3800 ventilators are available in the country, while two thousand more will be imported from China.
Briefing Parliamentary Committee in Islamabad on Monday, he said five hundred ventilators will reach Pakistan on Thursday, while 29,000 protective kits for doctors and paramedics have been provided to provinces. He said 137 hospitals, have exclusively been dedicated for the patients of Coronavirus. He said 22 laboratories are working across the country.
Source: Radio Pakistan
Punjab has reported 2 new deaths, provincial primary and secondary health department spokesperson Qaiser Asif has confirmed. The province’s death toll has now reached 15.
The province also reported 191 new cases with its total nearing 1,700.
Starting today, the government of Pakistan has opened Chaman and Torkham borders for 4 days to help Afghan nationals return to their home country.
According to the Foreign Office, the borders have been temporarily de-sealed upon the request of Afghan govt.
CM Usman Buzdar also visited the lab in protective suit to appreciate the frontline workers of the testing lab.
In the ongoing coronavirus crisis, many are likely to be financially vulnerable to default the loans availed from banks under different heads of consumer financing— housing and auto finance, personal loans and credit cards.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has come up with a relief payment scheme for them to make things easier.
There are two types of schemes for customers under this relief.
For details on eligibility, requirements, deadlines, and more, click here.
Two Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pilots returning from a flight to Toronto have tested positive for Coronavirus. As per the details, routine tests of the crew members were conducted when the flight landed back at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International airport.
The two pilots showed symptoms and were sent for further testing. The results came positive and they were shifted to isolation wards of a nearby private hospital where they are getting necessary treatment.
Read the full story here.
Lawmaker from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly Abdul Salam Afridi has recovered from the novel coronavirus 10 days after he contracted the virus.
A tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York City has tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, and six other big cats are exhibiting symptoms consistent with the illness, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Sunday afternoon.
“It’s the first time, to our knowledge, that a [wild] animal has gotten sick from COVID-19 from a person,” says Paul Calle, chief veterinarian for the Bronx Zoo. The Malayan tiger, named Nadia, likely contracted the coronavirus from an infected—but unknown—asymptomatic zookeeper. “It’s the only thing that makes sense,” Calle says. The zoo has been closed to visitors since March 16.
Source: National Geographic
Bahawalpur registered its first coronavirus case where a 65-year-old patient died of the disease.
Civil Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Rana Muhammad Yousuf confirmed the death.
Two more members of the family have been shifted to the hospital after testing positive for the virus.
With 87 new recoveries recorded in the past 24 hours, Pakistan’s tally of recovered coronavirus patients has reached 257 so far.
The new numbers are according to the government’s official portal for tracking the spread of the disease in the country.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been admitted to hospital for tests, 10 days after testing positive for coronavirus, Downing Street has said.
He was taken to a London hospital on Sunday evening with “persistent symptoms” – including a temperature.
It is said to be a “precautionary step” taken on the advice of his doctor.
Source: BBC
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has recorded two deaths from the novel coronavirus, taking the national death toll up to 47.
Coronavirus patients in Karachi with mild symptoms will be quarantined at the Expo Center facility, Sindh Health Dept has informed. Karachi Expo Center was converted into a 1,200-bed field hospital last week.
However, those with moderate to server symptoms will be kept and treated in isolation wards established at the hospitals.
For our coronavirus coverage from April 5, click here.