Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Thirty-eight deaths have been confirmed in a single day by the novel coronavirus, a thes number of positive cases surged to 268,815 on Wednesday and the nationwide tally of fatalities jumped to 5,702.
According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center 1,332 persons have been tested positive for Covid-19 in 24 hours.
Till now 115,213 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 90,816 in Punjab, 32,753 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 11,517 in Balochistan, 14,701 in Islamabad 1,878 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 1,937 in Azad Kashmir.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 230 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, raising the total to 32,753 with five more people succumbing to the disease, pushing the death toll to 1,158, the health ministry said.
Balochistan has reported 48 coronavirus cases and one death during the past 24 hours, according to the provincial health department’s daily situation report.
The provincial total has risen to 11,517 while total deaths are 136.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that 1,109 coronavirus cases and 19 deaths were reported in the province during the past 24 hours.
In a statement, he said 10,108 tests were carried out during this period. With the new cases, the provincial total has risen to 115,213 while the death toll is 2,060.
He added that 16,927 patients are currently under treatment.
Meanwhile, Punjab Commerce Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal on Wednesday announced that restaurants will be allowed to reopen after Eid-ul-Azha.
Mian Aslam Iqbal said that marriage halls will be reopened in first week of September with strict Standard Operating Procedures. He also added that SOPs will be prepared and sent to Centre before Eid-ul-Azha.
Earlier, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Sunday demanded the government allow reopening of restaurants at the earliest with minimum 50 per cent seating capacity under the standard operating procedures set by the government.
In a meeting with Provincial Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment Mian Aslam Iqbal, along with a delegation of the restaurants and marriage halls owners here, FPCCI President Mian Anjum Nisar urged the authorities concerned to announce a date for reopening of the eateries.
