Pakistan coronavirus infected tally rises to 28

Pakistan reported  more than half a dozen new cases of coronavirus, bumping up the total tally of people testing positive for the virus to 28, SAPM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza confirmed on Friday.

The new cases were reported a few hours after the country confirmed its 21st case. 

A meeting of the National Coordination Committee will be held tomorrow to discuss the coronavirus outbreak, Mirza said, adding that there was a need for state-level policy making to tackle the pandemic.

Referring to a decision made in today's National Security Committee (NSC) meeting, he said: "We have decided to allow international flights on three airports i.e. Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore."

"Mass level gatherings in the country have been cancelled," said Mirza. "Nothing is more important than the protection of people for the state."

"The events which were set to take place in marriage halls have been cancelled," he said.

"Cinemas and theaters are also being shut down for the next two weeks," he added.

The senior government official said that all educational institutions, both public and private, were being closed from tomorrow throughout the country.

"The federal minister for religious affairs will decide on matters pertaining to religious gatherings," he said.

He said that the government would contact the chief justice to decide on whether courts and kutcheris should keep on functioning or not. 

"We request the civil courts to postpone hearings for three weeks," he said. "We will also request judicial magistrates and sessions court judges to go to jails and make decisions on remands and bails there."

"A ban of three weeks has been imposed on meeting prisoners," he said. 

More than 5,000 people have died and more than 135,000 are infected globally from COVID-19.