Lahore/Quetta/Karachi/Peshawar (Staff Report/Agencies): The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan on Saturday rose to 132,405 after 6,472 new infections were reported over the past 24 hours.
Overall, 50,087 cases were reported in Punjab, 49,256 in Sindh, 16,415 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 7,866 in Balochistan, 7,163 in Islamabad, 1,044 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and 574 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
According to the government's Covid-19 portal, the death toll related to coronavirus has reached 2,551 with 88 fatalities reported during the last 24 hours while around 50,056 patients have fully recovered from the disease.
Nearly one-and-a-half months after imposing the lockdown across the country, the government announced to ease the lockdown in phases, however, the number of coronavirus cases has continued to soar.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Imran Khan warned of strict action against the shopkeepers and business community who were not following Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Dr Zafar Mirza on Friday said that the government has prepared a special package for frontline health workers fighting COVID-19.
Briefing the media at the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), he said that the doctors, nurses and other paramedics who are working in emergencies, quarantine and isolation centers caring the patients of coronavirus are our national heroes and their protection is the main responsibility of the government.
The SAPM said that the package has been prepared after a week-long consultation with health experts from all over the country.
He said the federal and provincial governments will be responsible at their level to implement the package.
Dr Zafar Mirza said the package consists of 7 points including financial support, security, training, care, healthcare, private health supports and recognition at national level.
It is pertinent to mention that the global coronavirus cases have reportedly surpassed 7.59 million and death toll tops 425,000.
