Corona death toll in Pakistan reaches 7,000

ISLAMABAD: A total of 1,637 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed during the last 24 hours, bringing the tally to 346,476. With 23 new deaths, the country’s coronavirus death toll has reached 7,000. So far, a total of 319,431 people have recovered from the virus while the active number of cases stands at 20,045.

With 31,904 tests conducted across Pakistan, the positivity rate has reached five percent. No COVID-19 affected person was on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Balochistan, while 177 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in Pakistan, out of 1,855 ventilators allocated for COVID-19 patients.

Some 31,904 tests were conducted across the country on Monday, including 12,343 in Sindh, 9,130 in Punjab, 4,037 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5,065 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 528 in Balochistan, 370 in GB, and 431 in AJK.

As many as 4,830 corona cases have been reported from AJK, 16,152 from Balochistan, 4,378 from GB, 22,110 from ICT, 40,843 from KP, 107,329 from Punjab, and Sindh 150,834. About 7,000 deaths were recorded in the country since the eruption of the contagion, including 2,687 Sindh, 2,420 in Punjab, 1,290 in KP, 2,44 in ICT, 154 in Balochistan, 93 in GB and 112 in AJK.

The Punjab government has enforced smart lockdown in four big cities in view of second wave of coronavirus. As an immediate preventive and speedy remedy to ensure public health and conserve lives in the Punjab, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Deportment (P&SHD), under Punjab Infectious Diseases (Prevention and Control) Act 2020 and after approval from the chief minister, there shall be "controlled entry and exit" in the areas of districts of Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi and Multan, identified as hotspots of COVID-19 disease with immediate effect till November 19, 2020.

The hotspot areas of district Lahore include New Muslim Town (C Block), Allama lqbal Town (Raza Block, Sikandar Block, Umer Block), Garden Town, Cavalry Ground, DHA Phase 1 (AA Block), HBFC B Block, DHA Phase 6 (A sector and L sector), Askari 11, Anarkali, Mozang, Shadman, and Gulshan-e-Ravi. Rest of the areas of Lahore shall remain open.

As per the notification, all markets, shopping malls, restaurants, offices (public and private) shall remain closed in these areas. There shall be a complete ban on movement of people to and from these areas by public and private transport except for limited movement of one person per vehicle to and from the exempted facilities.

There shall also be a complete ban on gatherings of all kinds for social religious, or any other purpose at any place, public or private throughout these areas. In the closed areas, however, the following shall be exempted from this order: Grocery stores, general/karyana stores, atta chakkis, fruit & vegetable shops, tondoors and petrol pumps shall be open from 9am to 7 pm for seven days a week; all medical services and pharmacies/medical stores, laboratories and collection points, hospitals and clinics for 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and milk shops, chicken and meat/fish shops and bakeries shall remain open from 7:00am to 7:00pm seven days a week.

The large departmental stores will only keep their grocery/pharmacy sections open while all others sections will remain closed. They will allow customers to enter stores in smaller groups while fulfilling the condition of social distancing. The SOPs devised in consultation with district administration and police shall be strictly complied.

The exemption, however, is allowed to the officials of government departments on duty, duly notified by respective departments, including judges, lawyers and court staff; personnel related to health services including hospitals, clinics, laboratories collection points and medical stores; personnel related to law enforcement agencies; personnel related to essential services/offices going to perform their duties or providing essential services; persons in need of medical care with two attendants where necessary; persons going to buy grocery and medicines within the vicinity of their residence; necessary/unavoidable religious rites like the last rites, Namaz-e-Janaza, burial and related events; utility companies including WASAs, municipalities, Wapda, NTDC, discos and SNGPL; public and private telecom/cellular companies, their franchises and their customer support centre with no public dealing; call centres with 50 percent staff and no public dealing; banks with only essential staff; takeaway/home delivery from restaurants; welfare organisations providing essential services and free dasterkhwan; media persons authorised by Information Department, newspaper hawkers; and any exemption that may be deemed necessary by the commissioner of the concerned division.