Lahore/Quetta/Karachi/Peshawar (Staff Report/Agencies): The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan on Thursday rose to 16,817.
At least 6,340 cases reported in Punjab, 6,053 in Sindh, 2,627 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,049 in Balochistan, 339 in Gilgit Baltistan, 343 in Islamabad, and 66 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the National Command and Control Centre, the death toll related to COVID-19 has reached 385, while at least 4,315 patients have fully recovered.
The number of coronavirus cases has continued to soar despite the country being under a lockdown from the last month.
The government has extended the nation-wide lockdown till May 9 while cautioning the nation that the anti-virus fight had entered a decisive phase that would set the future course of action regarding the restrictions.
However, Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar said the industries that are being opened include export sector, chemical manufacturing plants, e-commerce, software development and planning, paper and packaging units, industries with labor on site, cement and fertilizer plants, mines and minerals, plant nurseries, agricultural machinery plants, glass manufacturing plants, veterinary services and bookshops.
The agriculture sector will also remain open due to upcoming harvesting of wheat.
The worldwide number of officially confirmed fatalities from the novel coronavirus now stands above 200,000.
