Lahore/Quetta/Karachi/Peshawar (Staff Report/Agencies): The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan on Saturday rose to 93,983 after 4,734 new infections were reported over the past 24 hours.
Overall, 35,308 cases were reported in Punjab, 34,889 in Sindh, 12,459 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5,776 in Balochistan, 897 in Gilgit Baltistan, 4,323 in Islamabad, and 331 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
According to the government's Covid-19 portal, the death toll related to coronavirus has reached 1,935 with 97 fatalities reported during the last 24 hours while at least 32,581 patients have fully recovered from the disease.
The number of coronavirus cases has continued to soar despite the country remained under a lockdown nearly one and a half month.
Meanwhile, Planning Minister Asad Umar has urged the people to take precautionary measures against Covid-19 seriously to protect their lives and of others.
While giving a media briefing from National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) in Islamabad on Saturday, he said more than 1,900 precious lives have so far been lost in Pakistan in this killer disease which shows the enormity and gravity of the situation.
Asad said that the first and foremost priority of the government is to slow the pace of spread of corona pandemic.
He said that the two of the most important components of this strategy are to strictly follow the precautionary measures advised by medical community and to bring changes in our lifestyles.
The minister said the people who are not adopting precautionary measures are not only risking their own lives, but also the lives of others with whom they come in contact with.
He added that district administrations across the country have been directed to take strict action where people flout the rules and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
The planning minister the basic aim entrusted to administration is to protect the lives of 210 million people in Pakistan.
He said government wants to help everyone earn their livelihoods, but not at the cost of peril to health of others. He said no one can be allowed to endanger life of others.
The minister said 884 areas of Pakistan have been under smart lockdown actions with more than 200,000 people impacted due to restrictions.
Asad Umar said work has been done to improve testing systems and now over 22,000 tests are being conducted daily.
On February 26, when first cases emerged, there were only 8 laboratories capable of testing people in the country, now this number has increased to dozens, the minister said adding that the number of ventilators in the country has seen two fold increases in four months.
“In addition, the scientific institutions of the country in collaboration with private sector, have started producing face masks and protective clothing,” Asad Umar said.
Paying rich tributes to the services of frontline medical staff, the minister said that the government is taking all possible steps to health them dispense their duties.
It is pertinent to mention that the global coronavirus cases have reportedly surpassed 6.68 million and death toll tops 391,000.