COVID-19: Pakistan reports record 1,764 new cases; death toll nears 600

Islamabad: A record 1,764 new coronavirus cases reported in Pakistan in one day, taking the total number of patients to 25,837, the health ministry said on Friday.

The Ministry of National Health Service said that 35 more patients have died in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 594.

As many as 7,530 people have so far recovered, it said.

Punjab reported 10,033 patients, Sindh 9,093, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 3,956, Balochistan 1,725, Islamabad 558, Gilgit-Baltistan 394 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 78 patients, it said.

So far 257,247 tests have been conducted so far, including 11,993 in the last 24 hours.

Despite the increasing number, the government on Thursday announced to start lifting lockdown from Saturday.

It also said that the suspension of domestic flight operation will continue up to May 10. The earlier order was to expire on May 7.

The country will begin easing its nationwide lockdown in a phaseed manner by allowing various businesses to open up, Prime Minister Imran Khan said, citing the economic crisis due to the shutdown.

He said the decision was taken as businesses and people were facing problems.

Khan said that the situation was not clear as the curve of coronavirus cases was going up and there was no indication when the peak would be reached.

However, he said that Pakistan did not witness a peak like the one in the European countries.

PTI