Lahore/Quetta/Karachi/Peshawar (Staff Report/Agencies): The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 359,032 on Monday after 2,128 new coronavirus cases surfaced in the country during the last 24 hours.
Overall, 156,528 cases were reported in Sindh, 110,450 in Punjab, 42,370 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 16,407 in Balochistan, 24,218 in Islamabad, 4,452 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and 5,455 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
According to the government's Covid-19 portal, the death toll related to coronavirus has reached 7,160 with 19 fatalities reported during the last 24 hours.
Over the last twenty four hours, total number of recovered COVID-19 patients across the country reached 323,824 on Monday after another 599 virus recoveries were reported during the last 24 hours while the recovery rate remained 90.2%.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday urged the nation to follow Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as strictly as the last time.
Addressing the media following a meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC), the premier announced the decisions taken in light of the resurgence of COVID-19 second wave in Pakistan.
PM Imran urged people to wear face masks in public and maintain social distancing “as the country’s positivity rate had risen 4 per cent in just the past 10 days”.
“We are not going to close factories, shops, and other businesses in a bid to continue economic activities in the country, but there is a need of strict observance of precautionary measures again to slow down spread of the coronavirus,” PM Imran said.
He said that all kinds of public rallies should be halted, and taking the lead, he cancelled his party's scheduled public gathering.
He said marriage halls will be bound to ensure that there should not be more than 300 guests at a gathering, and they will be further encouraged to organize their events in open spaces.
It will be mandatory for guests to wear face masks, while observing social distancing during the event, the PM said, adding that the restaurants are also required to strictly implement these SOPs.
It is pertinent to mention that the global coronavirus cases have reportedly surpassed 54.3 million and death toll tops 1.31 million.
