The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 1,938 on Tuesday after new cases were reported in the country.
The province-wise break up of the total number of cases are as follows
Total confirmed cases: 1,865
• Sindh: 676
• Punjab: 676
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 221
• Balochistan: 153
• Islamabad Capital Territory: 58
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 148
• AJK: 6
Deaths: 26
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 6
• Sindh: 8
• Balochistan: 1
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 2
• Punjab: 8
More than 37,000 deaths have been recorded globally, of which most have been in Europe since the virus first emerged in December.
Read more: Coronavirus: Two patients recover in Buner, area of KP
More than 785,000 COVID-19 cases have been registered in 200 countries and territories of which a majority have been in Europe, the worst-hit continent by the virus.
Situation in AJK
Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider on Monday said that 204 teams of the government were in the field to tackle the coronavirus outbreak across the valley.
"Saving human lives is my responsibility. We have started spraying disinfectants in the cities, streets and residential areas of the valley," he told the media at a press briefing.
China's special plane carrying relief goods
Another aircraft of China carrying medical supplies regarding Coronavirus pandemic arrived in Karachi on Monday.
The medical supplies include testing kits, N-95 masks and protective suits.
Sindh Governor Imran Ismail on March 27 had received a consignment of medical aid from China for fighting the coronavirus epidemic in the country at Karachi airport.
Sports Celebrities Boxer Amir Khan to donate Rs40m to Pakistan
Pakistani origin British boxer Amir Khan has announced to donate Rs40 million to Pakistan to help fight the novel coronavirus.
Boxer Amir Khan also offered to use his Islamabad boxing academy as a quarantine for the coronavirus patients.
Developing health sector real service to nation: SAPM Awan
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that developing the health sector is a real service to the nation.
In a statement issued on Monday, the SAPM said that the opposition was upset when government ministers spoke truthfully.
“Developing the health sector was not a priority for the previous rulers,” Awan said. “What mattered to them was putting their name on the board.”
“For Imran Khan, the health of the nation comes first,” she said, adding that the incumbent premier had increased the health budget.
Zafar Mirza urges Pakistanis to follow social distancing directives
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza urged citizens to follow the instructions about social distancing in order to limit the spread of the virus in Pakistan.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said that the way some patients were being treated was "extremely saddening".
"They are being criminalised, what will happen is people will get scared and won't come forward to report it [...]," he said.
Cabinet approved economic package, says Hammad Azhar
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar said that the government had announced an economic package which was approved by the ECC after which it was approved by the cabinet today.
It includes:
Rs200 billion for daily-wagers
Arrangements to delay interest payments on loans by six months for industries
Increase quota of deserving people
Rs50 billion for utility stores
Reduced petrol and diesel prices
Read more details on the economic package here.
Sindh reports one more death; provincial toll at 8
A 74-year-old man has died from the coronavirus in Sindh, with the provincial death toll from the disease rising to eight.
The patient, a resident of Karachi, was brought to the hospital on March 26 where he was tested, the Sindh health minister said.
He had a history of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Diabetes.
Testing capacity to rise to 280,000 people tomorrow: Asad Umar
Asad Umar said that it is important to increase the testing capacity for Covid-19.
He said that the country had the capacity to test 30,000 people on March 13 and this will rise to 280,000 tomorrow.
By April 15, he said this capacity will rise to 900,000.
Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said that an important thing that was discussed in the cabinet meeting was that citizens who test positive should not be treated as criminals by society.
He said people would stop reporting out of fear.
Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said that the National Coordination Committee and the National Command Centre, that began working from today, will not be partisan.
