Lahore/Quetta/Karachi/Peshawar (Staff Report/Agencies): The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan on Thursday rose to 24,073.
At least 9,077 cases reported in Punjab, 8,640 in Sindh, 3,712 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,495 in Balochistan, 388 in Gilgit Baltistan, 521 in Islamabad, and 76 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the National Command and Control Centre, the death toll related to COVID-19 has reached 564, while at least 6,464 patients have fully recovered.
The number of coronavirus cases has continued to soar despite the country being under a lockdown from the last month.
The Balochistan government has extended the ongoing lockdown across the province till May 15.
The entire country is under the state of lockdown, which the premier said the government will lift gradually to alleviate poor economy.
Earlier, the government has extended the nation-wide lockdown till May 9 while cautioning the nation that the anti-virus fight had entered a decisive phase that would set the future course of action regarding the restrictions.
However, Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar said the industries that are being opened include export sector, chemical manufacturing plants, e-commerce, software development and planning, paper and packaging units, industries with labor on site, cement and fertilizer plants, mines and minerals, plant nurseries, agricultural machinery plants, glass manufacturing plants, veterinary services and bookshops.
The agriculture sector will also remain open due to upcoming harvesting of wheat.
Global coronavirus cases surpassed 3.5 million and death toll tops 250,000.