World News | Pak Reports Record 4,896 New Coronavirus Cases, Tally Reaches 89,249
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Pakistan on Friday registered a record spike of 4,896 new coronavirus cases, taking the total tally to 89,249, even as Prime Minister Imran Khan asserted that over 175,000 volunteers have helped to enforce the official guidelines to contain the spread of the deadly virus in the country.
Islamabad, Jun 5 (PTI) Pakistan on Friday registered a record spike of 4,896 new coronavirus cases, taking the total tally to 89,249, even as Prime Minister Imran Khan asserted that over 175,000 volunteers have helped to enforce the official guidelines to contain the spread of the deadly virus in the country.
The Ministry of National Health Service said 68 coronavirus patients died in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 1,838.
Friday was the third consecutive day when a record number of COVID-19 cases were reported in Pakistan after the Eid holidays and easing of lockdown restrictions at the end of May.
With 4,896 new infections, the total coronavirus tally in Pakistan now stands at 89,249, the health ministry said.
Sindh province reported 33,536 infections, Punjab 33,144, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 11,890, Balochistan 5,582, Islamabad 3,946, Gilgit-Baltistan 852 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 299.
Addressing the Corona Relief Tiger Force via a special television briefing, Prime Minister Khan said over 175,000 members of the force have helped to enforce the official guidelines to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country.
A record one million volunteers have registered for the force. "They have played an important role after the lockdown was eased. More than 175,000 were active in Ramadan who went to different mosques to ensure compliance with the safety guidelines," he said.
Khan said due to the observance of the standard operating procedures (SOPs), no major outbreak was reported from any mosque during Ramzan. He claimed after successful reopening of mosques in Pakistan, other Muslim countries are also following the Pakistani model.
He said Pakistan cannot afford to go back to lockdown and that is why it needs volunteers who will help in having smart lockdown, if needed, in the badly-hit areas.
Khan said, "In India poverty severely increased due to lockdown. I have been saying that poverty increases due to lockdown."
Underlining the economic impact of the coronavirus and lockdown on Pakistan, he said, "We have suffered Rs 800 billion decrease in tax revenue this year due to the economic impact of the coronavirus."
Despite the spike in the number of coronavirus cases, both Houses of Parliament met separately. While the Senate session started at 10 am, the National Assembly session was held at 4 pm.
Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani and Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser at a meeting at the parliament house in Islamabad reviewed arrangements made for the two sessions.
Fumigation was also carried out in the parliament house for the safety of the lawmakers and staff.
Earlier, the Opposition rejected the idea of virtual meetings and insisted that the sessions be held in person, noting that it was an important session of parliament because the budget is expected to be presented in the National Assembly in the next week.
The authorities have conducted 638,323 tests, including a record 22,812 tests in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said.
Meanwhile, a senior diplomat of the American embassy has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The case surfaced on Tuesday and the US Charge d'affaires has informed the staff of the development through an email, The Express Tribune reported on Friday.
In a statement, the embassy's spokesman said the diplomat's name will not be disclosed.
The US State Department is responsible to protect its citizens, wherever they are, the spokesman said.
In coordination with the Pakistani authorities, the consulate is working to enforce the coronavirus protocol in order to stem its spread, the spokesman said, adding that isolation wards, contact tracing and quarantine facilities are part of such protocols.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)