Coronavirus - Pakistan Reports 11 Deaths in 24 Hours, Tally Crosses 7,000 - Android

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Coronavirus - Pakistan Reports 11 Deaths in 24 Hours, Tally Crosses 7,000 - Android

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Pakistan’s coronavirus death toll jumped by 11 to 135 in the space of 24 hours. The number of new cases… Read More

The post Coronavirus: Pakistan Reports 11 Deaths in 24 Hours, Tally Crosses 7,000 appeared first on .

Pakistan’s coronavirus death toll jumped by 11 to 135 in the space of 24 hours. The number of new cases was also as high as 497 in a single day taking Pakistan’s total beyond 7,000. On Thursday, the country had registered a record 17 deaths within 24 hours while its tally rose by 520.

The spike comes only two days after the lockdown restrictions were partially lifted, a move that experts called premature and dangerous. On 14 April, the government had announced reopening of some ‘low-risk’ businesses to lessen the economic impact of shutdowns on the poor.

A Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) official, however, does not link the spike in new cases to lockdown lifting and instead points to bulk testing performed in the past 24 hours. Half of the new cases, he revealed, were found among the participants of Raiwind’s Tableeghi congregation.

SAPM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza also pointed to increased testing, 5,300 as compared to the usual 3,000 in a day, as the reason of a spike in new cases.

Experts fear that with the lockdown restrictions eased, the next few weeks could bring Pakistan’s outbreak peak with its new cases and fatalities reaching alarming proportions.

Here are the latest updates:

 

10.30 am

SHC rejects plea against restriction on congregational prayers

The Sindh High Court on Friday rejected the plea filed against the restriction on congregational prayers in the mosque and declared that the authorities are taking the measures to ensure the safety of lives.

-Geo.tv

10..00 am

President Trump Gives Governors 3-Phase Plan to Reopen Economy

President Donald Trump gave governors a road map Thursday for recovering from the economic pain of the coronavirus pandemic, laying out “a phased and deliberate approach” to restoring normal activity in places that have strong testing and are seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases.

The new guidelines are aimed at easing restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while holding the line in harder-hit locations. They make clear that the return to normalcy will be a far longer process than Trump initially envisioned, with federal officials warning that some social distancing measures may need to remain in place through the end of the year to prevent a new outbreak.

And they largely reinforce the plans already under development by governors, who have the primary responsibility for public health in their states.

-AP

9.45 am

Half of Pakistanis unaware of common risk factors for COVID-19: Study

Diabetics, smokers and asthmatics are at a higher risk of falling severely ill from COVID-19, but only half of urban and rural Pakistanis are aware of this, according to the findings of a new study by Aga Khan University.

Researchers surveyed 738 men and women across rural and urban Pakistan to assess knowledge about coronavirus symptoms, its mode of transmission and ways to protect oneself from the disease.

While over 90 per cent of those surveyed knew that the elderly were at a relatively higher risk of complications from the disease, nearly half of respondents were unaware of other risk factors such as diabetes, smoking and asthma.

Read more on the findings here.

9.30 am

GB minister quits over failure to get lockdown eased

Gilgit-Baltistan minister Dr Mohammad Iqbal announced his resignation over non-implementation of the government committee’s decision to relax lockdown in the region.

According to Iqbal, the local administration had manipulated GB’s affairs and insulted its representatives.

-Dawn

1.00 am

3 new deaths, 58 new cases reported in KP

Three more people have succumbed to Covid-19 in KP, taking the provincial toll to 45 deaths. One death was recorded each in Peshawar and Nowshera.

With 58 new cases, the KP tally has climbed to 993.