Pakistan's coronavirus cases soar to 12,227, death toll at 256

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The number of confirmed coronavirus cases across the country jumped to 12,227 on Saturday.   According to the National Command and Operation Center, there are 5,046 cases in Punjab, 3,945 in Sindh, 1,708 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 656 in Balochistan, 307 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 223 in Islamabad Capital Territory and 55 in Azad Kashmir. As many as 2,755 patients have so far recovered while the death toll from the virus stands at 256 with 16 new deaths and 785 new cases reported during the last 24 hours. On the other hand, 138,147 tests have been conducted since the outbreak of the pandemic, with 6,780 conducted during the last 24 hours. Local transmission is 79 percent and foreign travel 21 percent. The government has made ready 717 hospitals with Covid facilities with 2867 patients admitted across the country.

 Partial lockdown

On the other hand, partial lockdown imposed is continuing across the country as educational institutions, shopping malls, markets, restaurants, and other private business remained closed while inter-provincial and inter-city transport was also suspended. Factories, banks and the financial sector were directed to reduce work hours. The government has barred elder people and children from offering Friday prayers at mosques and issued guidelines for making lines with a specific distance. The novel coronavirus – which originated in the central China city of Wuhan towards the end of December 2019 – has spread to all continents excluding Antarctica. The COVID-19 respiratory illness caused by the mysterious contagion has so far killed thousands of people and infected tens of thousands of others across the globe.