Pak Lockdown Extended as Covid-19 Cases Surge, Clerics Urge People to Ignore Rules for Ramzan

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 24 (ANI): Pakistan on Friday extended the nationwide lockdown till May 9 as coronavirus cases in the country crosses 11,000 mark.Speaking at a news conference, the Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umara said that the National Coordination Committee's (NCC) meeting that was held at the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) decided to extend the date of the lockdown, The News International reported.Pakistan has so far reported 11,562 coronavirus cases and over 242 deaths,. Punjab continues to remain as the worst affected province in the country with 4851 cases.Implementing the lockdown could be challenging for the administration as several clerics in the country have urged people to ignore anti-pandemic measures as the Islamic holy month of fasting begins on Saturday. On Thursday, the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom had warned that if Pakistan did not take sufficient "preventive interventions" then the number of coronavirus cases in the country can surge to 200,000 by mid-July."Pakistan's #COVID19 Response Plan is a joint strategy of the Government of #Pakistan, the @UN and partners. It is aligned with the @GlobalGoalsUN, Pakistan's National Action Plan and WHO's global Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan," Dr Tedros was quoted as saying. (ANI)

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