Pakistan’s coronavirus death toll increases to 45 as patients jump to 2,880

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The death toll due to coronavirus jumped to 45 during the last 24 hours on Sunday. According to the data available with the National Command and Operation Centre, there are total 3,059 confirmed cases after emergence of new cases across the country. Punjab leads the tall with 1,319 reported cases followed by Sindh with 881 cases. There are 372 cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 189 in Balochistan. The number of patients in Islamabad has risen to 78. So far 206 confirmed cases are present in Gilgit-Baltistan and 14 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Coronavirus in Pakistan Confirmed Cases: 3,059 Recovered: 170 Critical: 18 Deaths: 45 Cases (24 HRS) 12pm to 12pm: 179 Deaths (24 HRS) 12pm to 12pm: 0 ICT: 78 Punjab: 1319 Sindh: 881 KP: 372 Balochistan: 189 AJK: 14 GB: 206    

Partial lockdown

On the other hand, partial lockdown imposed 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. Though the deadly infestation has been contained by the Chinese government in Wuhan, the virus has now spread elsewhere, especially in Europe and the United States, with the World Health Organisation declaring Europe as the new epicentre of the viral disease. Pakistan, despite its close proximity with China, remained unscathed until February 26 when a young man from Karachi tested positive for the novel coronavirus. He had returned from Iran – one of the worst-hit countries.