Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The World Health Organisation on Monday said that “extreme vigilance” was needed as countries begin to exit from lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, amid global concerns about a second wave of infections.
“Now we are seeing some hope as many countries exit these lockdowns,” Dr Mike Ryan, head of the WHO’s emergencies programme, told an online news briefing, but he added that “extreme vigilance is required”.
“If the disease persists at a low level without the possibility to investigate clusters there’s always the possibility that the virus takes off again,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, the nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients stood at 31,728 with 11,568 cases in Punjab, 12,017 in Sindh, 4,875 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 2,061 in Balochistan, 442 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 679 in Islamabad and 87 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The virus has claimed at least 691 lives while at least 8,342 coronavirus patients have recovered. According to KP health officials, 12 more people succumbed to the deadly disease, taking the death toll to 257 and at least 206 new Covid-19 cases have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, taking the provincial tally to 4,875.
While 11 deaths and 537 new cases were reported in Sindh on Monday.
In his daily press briefing Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah stated 68 more people have recovered from the virus during the past 24 hours. He further said that markets opened across the province at the decided time and urged traders to strictly abide by the SOPs.
Murad said he would personally visit markets to ensure that the SOPs were being followed.
As Sindh becomes the first province to cross 12,000 coronavirus cases, the Sindh government has released Rs1.8 billion for the establishment of a Covid-19 hospital in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, announced Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday. The hospital will have 400 beds, as well as a 100-bed ventilator facility.
Yet another police official who had contracted the novel coronavirus passed away on Monday, bringing he number of police personnel killed by the virus in the city to three. Those who have died include two ASIs and a constable.
ASI Shergul Khan Niazi, who was deputed at MT Garden, had been infected by coronavirus while on duty during the lockdown.
Punjab health department reported 475 new Covid-19 cases, taking its tally to 11,568. Five people succumbed to the disease in the province, bringing the number of fatalities in the province to 197.
An 85-year-old coronavirus patient passed away in Muzaffarabad early Monday. This the first death reported from the region. As many as 87 cases have been reported from AJK out of which 64 people have so far recovered.
According to the AJK Minister Information Technology Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbasi, Ikramullah was admitted to the hospital on May 8 and passed away in the wee hours on Monday.
Meanwhile, the National Command and Operation Centre on Monday called for post May 9 lockdown status besides implementation of standard operating procedures devised by the provinces for Ramazan.
Chairing the NCOC meeting, Minister for Planning Development Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar took all provincial representatives on board to discuss preparations related to religious congregations during the last span of Ramazan.
