May 28: PM Imran calls for global initiative to fight Covid-19 as nationwide tally surpasses 63,000

Countrywide coronavirus death toll has jumped to 1,283

ISLAMABAD / KARACHI / PESHAWAR / LAHORE / QUETTA / 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 5.6 million people in 202 countries and territories of the world ÔÇô and over 350,000 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.

Nearly one and a half months after imposing the lockdown across the country, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced to ease the lockdown in phases.

The nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients stands at 63,016 with 22,037 cases in Punjab, 25,309 in Sindh, 8,842 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 3,928 in Balochistan, 662 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 2,015 in Islamabad and 223 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The virus has claimed at least 1,283 lives while about 20,231 coronavirus patients have recovered.

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.



12:55am: 99 patients recover from coronavirus in AJK

At least 99 people have recovered from the novel coronavirus in Azad Jammu and Kashmir so far.

According to health authorities, some 119 patients are still being treated in hospitals while Covid-19 has claimed five lives in AJK so far.



11:45pm: PTI ÔÇÿvows to resistÔÇÖ if Sindh govt reimposes lockdown in Karachi

Warning the Sindh government against reimposing a lockdown in the metropolis to check the spread of the novel coronavirus, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Khurram Sher Zaman stated that his party would oppose such a move by the provincial government.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, he accused the Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government of wanting to cause economic damage by locking down the country's economic hub.

"The world is coming to realise that lockdowns are not the solution [to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic]," he insisted, citing the examples of the United States and Europe, where thousands of people have died as a result of the contagion.

Read more here



11:46pm: 147 more people test Covid-19 positive in Balochistan

At least 147 more people contracted the novel coronavirus, bringing the provincial tally to 3,928.

The virus has claimed 43 lives in the province so far, according the provincial health authorities.





11:15pm: Senior journalist succumbs to Covid-19 in Peshawar

A senior journalist has succumbed to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in the provincial capital, making him the first media casualty of the virus in the province.

Fakharuddin Syed, who worked for a private news channel, had been admitted to the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) a few days ago in critical condition with shortness of breath and chest pain.

HMC officials said that he was kept on a ventilator for a day and was even provided plasma transfusions to help fight the virus. The hospitalÔÇÖs medical director Shehzad Akbar said SyedÔÇÖs condition had stabilised but on Thursday evening, they lost him unexpectedly.

Read more here



9:51pm: 11 more Covid-19 cases take G-B tally to 662

At least 11 more Covid-19 cases were reported in Gilgit-Baltistan during the last 24 hours, taking the regional tally to 662.

According to the health authorities, seven more people recovered from the respiratory disease, taking the total to 470.

The number of active cases stood at 179 in G-B.



9:13pm: Sindh sees highest single-day Covid-19 spike, recoveries

Sindh recorded on Thursday the highest number coronavirus cases as well as the highest number of recovered patients in a day.

In a statement issued by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, as many as 1,103 more cases were reported on Thursday, following which the provinceÔÇÖs tally rose to 25,309.

The highest tally previously reported had been 1,080 cases in a day, diagnosed from 5,498 cases. The latest report of 1,103 cases came after the province conducted 4,101 tests ÔÇô a positive test ratio of 27 per cent.

Read more here



7:09pm: Covid-19 cannot be defeated without global approach, says PM

Prime Minister Imran Khan has thanked the G20 countries for providing debt relief to the developing countries dealing with crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I really welcome the debt relief initiative by G20 countries but we cannot come out of this crisis unless we look at this issue from global perspective," said the premier on Thursday while addressing a virtual United Nations High-Level event on Financing for Development (FFD) in Era of Covid-19 and Beyond.

The event was hosted by Secretary General of United Nations Ant├│nio Guterres and Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and Jamaica Andrew Holness.

Read more here



6:32pm: 359 new Covid-19 cases, seven more deaths in K-P

At least 359 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) in the last 24 hours, taking the provincial tally to 8,842.

According to provincial health department, seven more people have lost their lives due to the deadly disease.

A total of 432 people have succumbed to coronavirus in the province.

359 new cases reported in (67 from Int'l flights center) taking the total to 8,842. 7 more lives were lost (2 Peshawar, 1 each in Mardan, Swat, Malakand, Abbottabad and Kohat) taking the total to 432. 61 new patients recovered taking the tally to 2,693. Active cases at 5,717. pic.twitter.com/EqTzF11aWr

— Health Department KP (@HealthKPGovt) May 28, 2020

4:15pm: Two employees of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation die of COVID-19

Two employees of Radio Pakistan succumbed to coronavirus today.

Muhammad Ashfaq, a Senior Broadcast Engineer and Huma Zafar, an Urdu newscaster, died of the virus.

Muhammad Ashfaq was a regular employee of Radio Pakistan and known for his competence and dedication to technical work.

Huma Zafar was a contractual newsreader and had been reading national bulletins in CNO PBC for the last two decades. She was well educated lady and did her Phd in Psychology from abroad. She was also attached with Waqar un Nisa Girls College Rawalpindi as a senior faculty member.



3:15pm: KP CM's advisor Ajmal Wazir addresses the media

#Live:Advisor to CM KP on information @ajmalkwazir addresses news conference in #Peshawar https://t.co/9Bukq54A7H

— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) May 28, 2020

2:30pm: Sindh reports new cases

Provincial health authorities reported 1,103 new cases in the province during the last 24-hr period.

Officials added that 16 people succumbed to the virus in the province and 1,924 people recovered and were sent home during the same period. Total number of cases in the province stands at 25,309.



1:30pm: Islamabad sessions court employee tests positive for Covid-19

An employee of the district and sessions court, Islamabad, tested positive for Covid-19.

Following the confirmation, district and sessions judge Tahir Mehmood Khan ordered for the court to be closed immediately. As per the SOPs, only relevant officials will be allowed to attend court for urgent cases.

The employee is said to be admitted in the ICU at the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology.





1:00pm: Meeting to discuss Covid-19 situation summoned

Prime Minister Imran Khan will be presiding over a meeting called to address the current situation regarding Covid-19 as well as the locust attack today.

The meeting will be attended by federal ministers and senior officials of the federal and provincial governments.

The PM will be briefed about the current statistics and measures by officials of the National Command and Control Centre and National Disaster Management Authority.







12:00pm: Food packages donated by Chinese Embassy distributed

Food packages donated by the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan were distributed in collaboration with Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry to the needy people to help them overcome the temporary challenge.

Food packages donated by Chinese Embassy in Pakistan were distributed in collaboration with #Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry(#IWCCI) to the needy people amid #Coronavirus pandemic to help them overcome the temporary challenge. #APPNews#pakchinafriendship pic.twitter.com/YP1c6QjdFa

— APP 🇵🇰 (@appcsocialmedia) May 28, 2020

11:30am: Sindh Assembly makes COVID-19 test compulsory for all attending session

Sindh Assembly on Thursday made it mandatory for all members to get tested for coronavirus before attending the assembly session.

A special team has been made by the provincial health ministry to conduct the tests.

Sindh Assembly session is scheduled to take place on June 3.



10:50am: Exporters receive large orders for face masks from US, Canada and Europe

I have received information that some exporters have obtained large orders for face masks from US, Canada and Europe . This is a major breakthrough and I congratulate them for this achievement. 1/2@aliya_hamza @pid_gov @ImranKhanPTI @appcsocialmedia

— Abdul Razak Dawood (@razak_dawood) May 28, 2020

10:00am: PM to participate in virtual high-level event on Financing for Development in Era of COVID-19, Beyond today

Prime Minister Imran Khan will participate in a virtual high-level event on Financing for Development in Era of Covid-19 and Beyond, today.

The event is being hosted by the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness and the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

In his address, the prime minister will share his vision on possible ways to address the debt issue and the enormous financial challenges facing developing countries.

The Presidents of France, South Africa, Kazakhstan and the Prime Ministers of UK, Japan, Norway, Italy and Ireland, the German Chancellor and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, will address the high level event.

The debt vulnerability of developing countries will be one of the six interlinked financial issues to be discussed at the event.

The foreign office spokesperson in a statement said the prime minister's leading role in advancing solutions to the vital issues of debt, liquidity, investment and sustainable development will greatly enhance the prospects for Pakistan and other developing countries to secure the international support, solidarity and cooperation needed to ensure a rapid recovery from the most serious recession the world has faced since the great depression a century ago.

Read story here 

9:30am: Revised lockdown to be imposed in K-P

The provincial government on Wednesday said that they will re-impose a lockdown with set times for stores to close as part of measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).

This was stated by the Adviser to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister on Information Ajmal Wazir on Wednesday after visiting different markets in the provincial capital.

He said that keeping in view the Covid-19 pandemic, which has infected as many as 8,483 people in the province so far and claimed 425 lives, the government will implement a routine similar to the one which was in effect before the Eidul Fitr holidays.

Read story here



9:15am: Govt to consult province before taking any decision on lockdown: Syed Nasir

Sindh Minister for Information, Local Government, Housing and Town Planning Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that the federal government will consult provinces before taking any decision on lockdown.

Nasir Hussain Shah said no new decision had been made so far to tighten or ease the lockdown in the province.

He said the shopkeepers should open their shops in accordance with the standard operating procedures issued by the Sindh government and take precautions.

9:00am: COVID-19 cases soar to 61,227

The emergence of 2,076 new infections over the last 24 hours has taken the nationwide tally of coronavirus to 61,227.

As many as 22,037 cases have so far been detected in Punjab, 24,206 in Sindh, 8,483 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 3,616 in Balochistan, 2,015 in Islamabad, 651 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 219 in Azad Kashmir.

20,231 patients have so far recovered from the virus while the death toll stands at 1,260 with 36 deaths reported during the last 24 hours.



8:45am: Zafar urges factory, mill owners to ensure SoPs

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has urged the factory and mill owners to ensure standard operating procedures for the safety of workers from coronavirus.

Talking to a private news channel, he said the incumbent government would not follow the hard policy lines, keeping in view the poor condition of daily wage workers.

However, he said the discussion would be made in the next meeting for adopting smart or selective lockdown policy.



8:15am: Hospitals overflow as Covid-19 spikes

Scores of coronavirus patients poured into KarachiÔÇÖs hospitals as Eidul Fitr came to an end, further burdening facilities that were already overwhelmed. Consequently, several patients were reportedly denied admission due to a lack of beds, even as the National Disaster Management Authority insisted there was no shortage of beds or ventilators.

ÔÇ£We had to treat many patients in ambulances and we tried to do it in the best possible way,ÔÇØ a senior official at Dow University of Health ScienceÔÇÖs (DUHS) Ojha campus told┬áThe Express Tribune┬áon condition of anonymity.

Read more here



8:00am: 13 fresh Covid-19 cases raise G-B tally to 651

The Gilgit-Baltistan health department has confirmed 13 more cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours to bring the regionÔÇÖs tally to 651.

463 patients have recovered with nine deaths while active cases stand at 179 in the region.