KARACHI: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has surged to 98,943 in Pakistan today, while the death toll stands at 2,000.
Pakistan has reported its highest numbers of COVID-19 deaths and infections in a single day since the pandemic emerged in March, prompting health experts to call for a strict lockdown to contain it.
According to the Health Ministry, a record of 4,960 new cases, and 48 deaths from the disease have been reported in the country during the last 24 hours.
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 37,090cases so far been detected in Punjab, 36,364in Sindh, 12,459in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 6,221in Balochistan, 4,323 in Islamabad, 897 in Gilgit Baltistan and 331 in Azad Kashmir.
Out of a total of 1,998 deaths, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 561 deaths, Sindh 634, Balochistan 54, Gilgit-Baltistan 13, Punjab 683, Azad Kashmir 08 and Islamabad Capital Territory has reported 45 deaths.
The coronavirus respiratory illness caused by this mysterious contagion has so far infected more than 6.5 million people in 202 countries and territories of the world – and over 387,000 of them have died and counting.
Pakistan, despite its close proximity to China, remained COVID-19-free until February 26 when a young man from Karachi tested positive after returning from Iran – one of the worst-hit countries.
After a brief hiatus following the first case, COVID-19 cases spiked as more pilgrims returning from Iran tested positive for the virus.
As Pakistan witnesses a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths related to the deadly virus after the easing of restrictions, PM Imran had reiterated his stance on complete lockdown, saying that the only solution to tackle the COVID-19 plague is to implement a “smart lockdown” and adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“A lockdown means the collapse of the economy & in poorer countries a steep rise in poverty, crushing the poor as happened in Modi’s lockdown in India,” he had tweeted on Saturday.
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