LIVE: Govt extends countrywide lockdown till May 9 as Covid-19 tally jumps to 11,736

Government is making all-out efforts to enhance testing capacity, says Asad Umar

Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar addresses a news conference. SCREENGARB

KARACHI / ISLAMABAD / QUETTA / PESHAWAR / LAHORE / GILGIT / MUZAFFARABAD:
The novel coronavirus emerged in the central China city of Wuhan towards the end of last year and proliferated to almost the whole world within a couple of months. ItÔÇÖs not the virulence or fatality, but the infectivity of the new virus ÔÇô also known as SARS-CoV-2 ÔÇô that has set off a global frenzy.

The Covid-19 respiratory illness caused by this mysterious contagion has so far infected more than 2.7 million people in 202 countries and territories of the world ÔÇô more than 190,000 of them have died and counting.

Pakistan, despite its close proximity with China, remained coronavirus-free until February 26 when a young man from Karachi tested positive after returning from Iran ÔÇô 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.

The nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients stands at 11,736 with 4,851 cases in Punjab, 3,945  in Sindh, 1,708 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 656 in Balochistan, 307 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 214 in Islamabad and 55 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The virus has claimed at least 248 lives while at least 2,527 coronavirus patients have recovered.

The number of cases has continued to soar despite the country being under lockdown for the third consecutive week.

The situation remains fluid and┬áweÔÇÖre updating stats as soon as new figures are officially released.

Follow┬áThe Express TribuneÔÇÖs live coverage of the pandemic┬áhere.



11:50pm: K-P reports four more deaths, 167 new Covid-19 cases in last 24 hours

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) health department, in its daily situational report issued late on Friday, confirmed four more casualties due to coronavirus across the province to bring the death toll to 89.

With 167 fresh cases, the provincial tally of Covid-19 patients has risen to 1,708. These include 56 new cases at quarantine centre established at Torkham border.

472 patients have recovered from the deadly virus in the province so far.





11:40pm: President Alvi, religious affairs minister visit Faisal Mosque

President Dr Arif Alvi and Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri on Friday night visited Shah Faisal Mosque and other mosques situated in the federal capital to review precautionary measures adopted for Taraweeh prayer on the eve of first day of Ramazan.

The president expressed satisfaction over implementation of 20-point agreement signed between the government and the religious scholars of the country. Other mosques should also follow the measures taken at Faisal Mosque this will help curtail the spread of coronavirus pandemic, he added.

PHOTO: EXPRESS




11:30pm: Covid-19 biggest challenge after WWII: Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday said the novel coronavirus pandemic is the biggest global challenge after World War II that has caused severe difficulties for the whole planet.

Over two million people are infected with the Covid-19 and more than 100,000 have died, according to the data of the Johns Hopkins University.

ÔÇ£The whole world has stopped practically because of the coronavirus,ÔÇØ he said while addressing the Pakistani community in the United Kingdom via a video link.

Read our full story here



Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar has said that the next 15 days are crucial in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic and extreme care is needed to prevent the disease from spreading any further.

During a news conference on Friday, DG ISPR said, The next 15 days are very crucial  a smart lockdown, testing and tracing and quarantining will prove beneficial in our fight against Covid-19. We will have a targeted lockdown only for virus hotspots and clusters.

Meanwhile, the militaryÔÇÖs media wing announced that a team of Chinese doctors along with medical supplies has arrived in Pakistan, adding that the doctors would bring expertise to help the country fight the virus as it goes through another period of lockdown.

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The Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) government has said that eight more people have contracted the novel coronavirus in the region. This brings the total number to 307.

213 patients have recovered so far, it added.



8:15pm: Balochistan reports two deaths, 49 new Covid-19 cases

The Balochistan health department, in its daily situational report, has confirmed two more casualties due to coronavirus to bring the death toll to 10.

With 49 new cases, total number of Covid-19 patients has also risen to 656.





8:00pm: Sindh govt issues lockdown SOPs for Ramazan

The Sindh government has issued detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for businesses and citizens during the holy month of Ramazan amid coronavirus lockdown.

In a notification issued on Friday, the authorities asked the faithful to offer Taraweeh prayers at home.

Sale of traditional Iftar items including samosa and pakora will not be permitted. However, home delivery of such items will be allowed under the SOPs issued by the government earlier.

The official communiqu├® also ordered the officials concerned to ensure the implementation of Ehteram-e-Ramazan Ordinance.





7:10pm: Chinese doctors bring more medical supplies to fight coronavirus

A team of Chinese doctors, headed by Maj-Gen Huang Qingzhen, has brought more medical supplies and equipment on two special aircraft. The Chinese doctors who have expertise in treating infectious diseases will support PakistanÔÇÖs efforts in fighting against Covid-19 for the next two months.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Nadeem Raza along with senior military officials welcomed the team on arrival.

The Chinese support reaffirms that being the ÔÇÿIron BrothersÔÇÖ and ÔÇÿAll-Weather friendsÔÇÖ, Pakistan and China have always helped each other in the time of need.





Another medical professional succumbed to deadly coronavirus in the country when a senior dispenser of a virus control room in Civil Hospital, Quetta passed away on Friday.

MS Dr Fazlur Rehman Bugti and DMS Dr Javed Akhtar expressed deep grief over the death of Dr Haji Dilawar.



Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, while addressing a news conference in Islamabad, said on Friday that the government has decided to extend the ongoing lockdown for another 15 days til May 9 to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country.

He said the government is also making all-out efforts to enhance testing capacity to ascertain the actual number of infected people in the country.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has instructed the power division to ensure that there will be no loadshedding during Iftar and Sehar timings during the holy month of Ramazan across the country, said the minister.

ÔÇ£If people act irresponsibly and do not follow precautionary measures, then we will be compelled to impose more restrictions by the end of Ramazan,ÔÇØ he warned.

Umar said almost half of the money allocated for Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme has been distributed among the underprivileged. The relief scheme will continue throughout the holy month of Ramazan, he added.



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5:30pm: Punjab's Covid-19 tally rises to 4,851 with 84 new cases

Another 84 people have contracted coronavirus to raise total number of such cases to 4,851 across Punjab, the provincial health department confirmed on Friday.

This includes 768 pilgrims, 1,915 Tableeghi Jamaat members, 86 inmates and 2,082 citizens.



4:15 pm: Dr Sania Nishtar addresses media





3:50 pm: SAPM Dr Zafar Mirza introduces overseas health initiative

Special Adviser to Prime Minister on Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza introduced a special programme for overseas Pakistanis, called the Pakistan Diaspora Health Initiative:

The programme has been launched in collaboration with the health department and would assist overseas Pakistanis to conduct training sessions and provide aid for people in Pakistan.



3:20 pm: SAPM Dr Zafar Mirza addresses media





3:15 pm Parliament has a pivotal role in fight against coronavirus: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the parliament has a pivotal role to play in the fight against coronavirus.

In a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, the premier said implementing the decisions taken at the parliamentary level is the government's priority.

ÔÇ£The government is taking every possible step to rid the country of this virus and we have to surmount this challenge collectively as a nation,ÔÇØ he said.

Imran appreciated the steps taken by the speaker regarding the establishment of a functional committee for zaireen and Tableeghi Jamaat members.

The speaker appreciated the steps taken by the government to contain the spread of the contagion.



3:00 pm: DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar press conference





2:55 pm: PIA special flights' fares reduced by 20-30% 

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has reduced its special flights' fares by 20 to 30pc for nationals stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari said the reduction for the UAE- bound special flights would come into effect from April 25.



According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), another consignment of medical supplies purchased from China has arrived in Pakistan.

A special plane of the Pakistan Air Force brought back supplies to Islamabad.

The supplies consisted of 2o biosafety kits, 50,000 VTM kits, 116 nuclear acid extraction kits, 91 bio testing kits and 50,000 N95 masks.

In the next few days, more safety and testing kits will be provided to all provinces, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), the NDMA spokesperson said.



A 10-member delegation of the Chinese Health Department has arrived in Pakistan.

The delegation, headed by Major General Hoang Van Thai reached Islamabad and was welcomed by Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing.




Federal Minister for Revenue Hammad Azhar said prices of goods are being monitored and the government has a zero-tolerance policy on hoarding, cartelisation or violating standard operating procedures (SOPs) for those industries that have been permitted to work amid the lockdown.

 

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