The number of confirmed cases in Pakistan rose to 799 on Sunday after new cases were reported across all the provinces.
Adviser to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Information Ajmal Wazir announced the country’s fifth death from the novel coronavirus on Sunday.
While speaking to reporters, Wazir said that the test results of a woman who had arrived from Taftan and shifted to Dera Ismail Khan had come as positive today, making it the province's third coronavirus related death.
Wazir in the presser also said the provincial tally of confirmed cases in the province was still at 31.
Confirmed cases
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan rose to 760 on Sunday after new cases were reported throughout the country.
Sindh
Sindh remains the worst affected with a total of 333 cases. Part of the surge was attributed to 89 new patients who tested positive for the virus in Sukkur on Saturday, the provincial health department said. In Karachi alone, the tally hit 123 (including one death and three recoveries) of which 77 were said to be cases of "local transmission".
Eighteen new cases of the virus emerged in Karachi and 23 cases were confirmed in Sukkur among pilgrims who had arrived from Taftan, on Sunday.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department, the number of cases in the province stands at 31 after four new patients were reported.
Gilgit-Baltistan
In Gilgit-Baltistan, the total number of cases rose to 55 from the previous total of 30, after 25 new cases were reported in the region.
According to the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, the appointment of information department secretary Fida Hussain has especially been made and he will be the region's only verified source for information pertaining to coronavirus patients.
Balochistan
The Balochistan chief secretary had reported yesterday that the confirmed number of cases in the province had reached 104, whereas the premier's aide on health, Dr Zafar Mirza had put the total at 103.
Globally, 190 countries have been affected, more than 12,000 people have died and more than 300,000 infected by the disease as it spreads rapidly to new territories. The epicentre of the outbreak has now shifted to Europe, especially Italy, which is recording a rapid rise in new cases and deaths every day.
Punjab tally rises to 225
Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar's spokesperson Musarrat Jamshed Cheema has confirmed a rise in the province's number of coronavirus cases, taking the total to 222.
Of these, 153 are pilgrims, 36 are in Lahore, four in Gujranwala, three in Gujrat and Jhelum each, two in Rawalpindi and one in Multan.
As of now, there are 222 confirmed patients in Punjab. Out of which 153 are Zaireen, 36 in Lahore, 4 in Gujranwala, 3 each in Gujrat and Jehlum, 2 in Rawalpindi and 1 patient is in Multan.
— Musarrat Jamshed Cheema (@MusarratJCheema) March 22, 2020
Please stay indoors and stay safe. We owe this to ourselves and our loved ones.
PML-N offers govt use of Sharif Group hospitals as quarantine centres
The PML-N has reported that party president Shehbaz Sharif has offered the use of all hospitals belonging to the Sharif Group as quarantine centres.
Shehbaz Sharif himself also tweeted, saying that he had convened a video conference of PML-N leaders to debate on what role the party can play to help fight the pandemic.
شہبازشریف کی کورونا سے عوام کو بچانے کے لئے حکومت کو بڑی پیشکش
— PML(N) (@pmln_org) March 22, 2020
شریف گروپ کے ہسپتال کورنٹین سینٹز کے طورپر استعمال کرنے کی پیشکش کردی
اتفاق ہسپتال اور شریف گروپ کے تمام ہسپتالوں کورونا سے بچاو کی سہولیات کی فراہمی کے لئے دستیاب ہیں:
Supreme Court of Pakistan moved to impose health emergency amid coronavirus pandemic
Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) was on Saturday approached for imposing health emergency in the country amid increasing cases of coronavirus in the country.
The residents of Islamabad filed a plea in the court for imposing health emergency along with imposing a curfew to restrict movement of masses.
“Only those going out for emergency should be allowed to travel,” the plea said further seeking court directives for the government to conduct 10,000 tests on daily basis.
Read more: Coronavirus: COAS directs Army to fast-track help toadministration
Remember, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Saturday directed the army to fast-track operations to help out the civil administration as the country grapples with a rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak.
PIA suspends international flight operations
The international flight operation will remain suspended from March 22 till March 28. However, domestic flights will continue as per schedule.
Sources privy to the development said, the decision has been taken on the directions of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Read more: Government, opposition on one page to combat coronavirus outbreak
Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser says government has decided to establish a parliamentary committee on Coronavirus with representation from both opposition and government.
Talking to various opposition leaders on telephone, he said the committee will present proposals and review government's measures to overcome the global pandemic.
Asad Qaiser said all political forces are on the same page in the fight against Covid-19.
Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser has contacted PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, JUI-F leader Maulana Asad Mehmood, and PML-N leaders, Rana Tanvir Hussain and Khawaja Muhammad Asif.
Coronavirus spread all over the world
US Vice President Mike Pence's office staffer tests positive.
A staff member in Vice President Mike Pence's office has tested positive for coronavirus, Pence's spokesperson said Friday evening.
"This evening we were notified that a member of the Office of the Vice President tested positive for the Coronavirus. Neither President Trump nor Vice President Pence had close contact with the individual," said Katie Miller.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be in isolation for two weeks after his wife, Sophie, tested positive for coronavirus, and the outbreak prompted the province of Ontario to Reashutter schools to limit the spread.
