Islamabad [Pakistan], February 16 (ANI): Amid the rise in COVID-19 positivity rate, Pakistan on Tuesday decided to extend restrictions in six cities till February 21.

The cities/districts where the restrictions will remain imposed are - Pakistan-occupied Gilgit and Muzaffarabad, Mardan, Karachi, Hyderabad and Peshawar.

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After reviewing the coronavirus situation in the country and cities with high disease prevalence in detail, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) agreed to keep the coronavirus related restrictions in place in the cities and districts with COVID-19 positivity rate higher than 10 per cent for at least three days, a notification issued by the forum stated, reported Geo News.

The NCOC said that the restrictions will be reviewed again on February 21 and directed all the concerned authorities to notify them about the extension of restrictions at priority.

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Pakistan recorded 2,597 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said on Tuesday.

With the new infections, the overall number of COVID-19 infections has risen to 1,488,598 in the country. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)