Lahore/Quetta/Karachi/Peshawar (Staff Report/Agencies): The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 964,490 on Tuesday after 830 new coronavirus cases surfaced in the country during the last 24 hours.
Overall 341,275 cases were confirmed in Sindh, 347,014 in Punjab, 138,616 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 27,445 in Balochistan 83,048 in Islamabad, 6,504 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and 20,588 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
As per National Command and Operation (NCOC) data, 37,364 tests were conducted while positivity ratio remained 2.22%.
According to the government's COVID-19 portal, the death toll related to coronavirus has reached to 22,452 with 25 fatalities reported during the last 24 hours.
Over the last twenty four hours, total number of recovered COVID-19 patients across the country reached 908,648 after another 714 virus recoveries were reported.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad on Tuesday said Torkham border has been closed from today for all kind of traffic due to Covid-19.
“The decision has been taken keeping in view the directions of National Command and Operation Center (NCOC),” the minister tweeted.
The interior minister added that Torkham Immigration Center on Pak-Afghan border will remain close till the fresh guidelines of the NCOC
On the other hand, the NCOC has expressed grave concern over the violation of COVID-19 related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The NCOC session, chaired by Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar in Islamabad, was informed that the SOPs were being violated in restaurants, indoor gymnasiums, wedding halls, transport, markets, tourism and other sectors.
The forum decided that strict restrictions might be imposed if the SOPs were not implemented and properly followed by the masses.
The NCOC also announced safety protocols for 3,000 Afghan students studying in different educational institutions of the country.
It was decided that these students arriving from Afghanistan would undergo 10-day mandatory quarantine and those with positive tests would be sent back to their country.
On culmination of the quarantine, the students would be vaccinated against COVID-19.
It is pertinent to mention that the global coronavirus cases have reportedly surpassed 184.941 million and death toll tops 4,000,884.
